Delhi High Court on Friday, giving a big relief to Vinesh Phogat, has directed the Central Government to constitute an expert committee to investigate and evaluate her case. The court also said that it should be ensured that Vinesh Phogat gets an opportunity to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games. During the hearing, the court also expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Wrestling Federation of India. The court questioned the Federation as to on what basis Vinesh Phogat was declared “ineligible” for domestic competitions.
The Delhi High Court, while hearing the case to Vinesh Phogat, made an important comment saying that the ongoing dispute between the players and the sports association should not affect the game. The court clearly said that despite any kind of differences or administrative disputes, the interests of the players and the game should be paramount. The court stressed that in a sport like wrestling, the future and fair opportunities of the players should be given priority. This comment has come at a time when Indian wrestling has been witnessing continuous controversies for some time now and many players have raised questions on the decisions and functioning of the Wrestling Federation of India. During the hearing, the court also directed that an expert committee be constituted to investigate and evaluate Vinesh Phogat’s case and ensure her an opportunity to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games.
Had refused to take part in the first trial
Earlier on Monday, the bench of Justice Purushendra Kumar Kaurav had refused to allow Vinesh Phogat to participate in the 2026 Asian Games selection trials to be held on May 30 and 31. The court had said at that time that since Vinesh Phogat has already been declared ineligible to participate in domestic competitions, no interim relief can be granted at this time. Vinesh Phogat had challenged the selection policy of the Wrestling Federation of India and the notice issued on May 9 in the court. He had claimed that the selection process and the action taken against him was not fair.
WFI accused of indiscipline
In a notice issued on May 9, the Wrestling Federation of India had barred Vinesh Phogat from participating in domestic competitions till June 26. The National Open Ranking Tournament was also included in this ban. The federation alleges that Vinesh Phogat committed indiscipline and did not follow anti-doping rules. According to WFI, under the rules of United World Wrestling, it is mandatory for players returning after retirement to give at least six months notice, but Vinesh did not complete this process. Vinesh Phogat had approached the Delhi High Court challenging this notice and selection policy. During the hearing of the case, the court said that the dispute between the players and the association should not affect the game.
According to the new policy, only players who have won medals in recently held national competitions will be eligible to participate in the 2026 Asian Games selection trials. The federation has also clarified that past performance or past achievements will not be considered the basis of selection. Challenging this policy, Vinesh Phogat had approached the Delhi High Court.
Vinesh Phogat says that the new selection system may be unfair to many experienced and senior players, especially those who have represented the country for a long time and have achieved achievements at the international level. During the hearing of the case, the High Court also remarked that the dispute between the players and the union should not affect the game and the interests of the players should be paramount.
Maternity leave was also mentioned
Delhi High Court, during the hearing of Vinesh Phogat case, admitted that she is currently on maternity leave. However, the court also said that it is important to take into account the personal circumstances of the players as well as the larger interests of the sport and the country. The Court indicated that it is necessary to maintain a balance between the selection process and the rights of the players. During the hearing, the selection policy of the Wrestling Federation of India and the issue of Vinesh being excluded from domestic competitions were also discussed. The court had already remarked that the dispute between the players and the union should not affect the game.
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