Vinesh Phogat gets big victory over WFI as Delhi HC allows her to participate in Asian Games trials: 'Mala fide intent'

The Delhi High Court has given a major relief to star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, allowing her to take part in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games scheduled for May 30 and 31. Vinesh was barred by the WFI from taking part in the event, issuing a circular that said only recent domestic medalist would be allowed.

The court also strongly criticised the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for acting in a "vindictive" manner against Vinesh, who had challenged the WFI circular for keeping her out of the trials. The court said the rules did not consider special circumstances like maternity-related break in her career.

"Further, the observations made by Respondent No. 1 in the SCN with regard to the mishap in 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which led to disqualification of the Appellant, by calling it national embarrassment is deplorable. Such observations made in the SCN despite the Award issued by CAS, which clearly held that there was no wrongdoing on part of the Appellant, appear to be pre-mediated and are ex-facie misconceived and ought to have been avoided. Such observations are retrograde and show the mala fide intent of Respondent No. 1 by being vindictive against the Appellant," the court said.

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A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia ordered that the selection trials, to be held on May 30-31, shall be video-recorded by the WFI and an independent observer from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) each shall also remain present.

"The appellant shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, 2026, which are scheduled for 30.05.2026 and 31.05.2026," the court said in its order passed on May 22 and uploaded on its website on Saturday.

"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," it stated.

The court further observed that the grounds taken in the show-cause notice "appear to be pre-mediated and reopening the closed issues" and that "it is necessary that the appellant is permitted to participate in the selection trials in the interest of the sport and justice".

The court passed the order on Phogat's appeal against the May 18 order of a single-judge bench, refusing her immediate relief on the issue of her participation in the selection trials.

Phogat, a wrestler of international repute, was disqualified from the 50-kg category finals in the Paris Olympics in August 2024 for being 100 gm overweight in the morning weigh-in.

(With agency inputs)