Delhi High Court Allows Vinesh Phogat To Compete In Asian Games Trials, Pulls Up WFI Over ‘Exclusionary' Policy

New Delhi, May 23: In a major relief for Vinesh Phogat, the Delhi High Court has allowed the star grappler to participate in the upcoming Asian Games selection trials, while strongly criticising the Wrestling Federation of India over what it termed an "exclusionary" policy against athletes returning from maternity breaks.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that Vinesh be permitted to compete in the trials scheduled for May 30 and 31. The court also ordered that the trials be video-recorded and monitored by independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association.

"The appellant shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, 2026," the court said in its order passed on May 22 and uploaded on Saturday.

Delhi HC Questions WFI Policy

The High Court came down heavily on WFI's selection policy, observing that it failed to provide any flexibility for elite athletes like Vinesh returning after maternity leave.

"The policy and the circular are clearly exclusionary in nature as it does not give any discretion to Respondent No.1 (WFI) to consider iconic players like the appellant in view of the sabbatical taken on account of her maternity leave," the bench observed.

The court further noted that the grounds mentioned in the show-cause notice issued to Vinesh appeared to be "pre-mediated" and amounted to reopening previously closed issues.

"It is necessary that the appellant is permitted to participate in the selection trials in the interest of the sport and justice," the court added.

Relief After Setback In Single-Judge Bench

The latest order came after Vinesh challenged the May 18 decision of a single-judge bench, which had refused to grant her immediate relief regarding participation in the trials.

The wrestler had moved court after WFI's revised eligibility rules threatened to block her pathway to the 2026 Asian Games following her return from maternity leave.

Vinesh's Comeback Row

The controversy escalated earlier this month after Vinesh alleged that she was denied verification and access to the training hall at the Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda despite receiving written permission from the International Testing Agency to resume competition from January 1, 2026.

On May 11, she shared screenshots of the communication on social media and wrote:

"I have been given written permission by the ITA to compete from 1 Jan, 2026. I was allowed to register for the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda on the 28th of April, 2026. I came to Gonda today to participate but I have neither been allowed to complete my verification, nor been allowed to use the training hall here. I don't want any special privileges, I just want to compete on merit."

The incident reignited tensions between Vinesh and the WFI, adding another chapter to the long-running conflict that began during the wrestlers' protest movement against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023.

From Protest Leader To Courtroom Battle

Vinesh emerged as one of the leading faces of the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar in 2023, alongside Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, accusing Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment and abuse of power.

Since then, her journey has included:

• clashes with WFI and sports authorities,
• the heartbreak of being disqualified before the 50kg final at the 2024 Summer Olympics for being 100 grams overweight,
• a brief retirement announcement,
• entry into politics,
• motherhood,
• and now a legal fight to continue her wrestling comeback.

The Delhi High Court's intervention has now opened the door for the decorated wrestler to fight for a place at the 2026 Asian Games on the mat rather than in the courtroom.