Vinesh Phogat May Still Miss The Asian Games 2026 Despite Trials: Report Unearths Shocking Claim!

Vinesh Phogat, who recently gained media attention after entering into a scuffle with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has been provided relief by the Delhi High Court to participate in the upcoming trials for the Asian Games 2926. The reason provided by the Delhi High Court was that the grounds made by the WFI were exclusionary, as it lacked discretion to consider an iconic player returning from a maternity break.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that the selection trials, slated for May 30 and 31, be video-recorded by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), with independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in attendance. "The appellant (Vinesh) shall be permitted to participate in the trials," the court said in its order passed on May 22 and uploaded on Saturday.

Vinesh Phogat May Still Miss Out On Asian Games!

According to a report by the Tribune, Phogat may still miss out on the coveted Asian Games even if she wins the 57-kg category trial in New Delhi on May 30. The reason being Vinesh's name is not on the list sent by the IOA to the organisers of the Asian Games.

All national sports federations had to submit their list of potential participants to the IOA by May 4, while the deadline for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to forward entries to the organisers was May 14. Sources confirmed that Vinesh's name was not part of the list submitted by the WFI to the IOA.

Rules for multi-discipline events state that countries can select only those athletes whose names appear on the approved long list, with changes typically allowed only in cases of injury replacements. "It's unclear how things will unfold. If she loses the trial, the issue ends there. But even if she wins, her selection for the Asian Games is not guaranteed," according to an official, quoted by the Tribune.

That said, a slim possibility remains. The organisers of the Aichi-Nagoya Games could permit her entry as a special case. "We can approach the Asian Games organisers to include her name if she wins the trial. Usually, such changes are made only under the injury replacement provision," an IOA source said.