4 min readMay 18, 2026 08:51 PM IST
With no immediate relief from the Delhi High Court on Monday, two-time World Championships bronze medallist and Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s chances to appear at the Asian Games this year stands dashed. The selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to be held on May 30 and 31, with the tournament scheduled for September-October this year.
Phogat, in a fresh petition before the Delhi HC, has primarily challenged an Asian Games Selection Policy issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on February 25, as well as a circular of May 6, which essentially excludes her from participating in the Asian Games’ selection trials. Additionally, she has also challenged the 15-page showcause notice issued by the WFI on May 9, accusing Phogat of indiscipline, violations of anti-doping regulations, and breaches of United World Wrestling (UWW) rules. WFI, in the showcause notice, also accused her of failing to make weight at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, “resulting in disqualification and national embarrassment.”
However, a day after the show-cause notice, Phogat had reached Gonda for the National Open Ranking tournament, an event for which she had registered before the April-end deadline, and was aiming to qualify for the Asian Games trials to be held on May 30. Gonda is also former WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh’s home turf, whom Phogat, among several others, had accused of sexual harassment. She was barred from participating at the Gonda event, which her lawyer said in court was her “only opportunity in this year to demonstrate my capabilities.”
The February policy by WFI had mandated that only medal-winning wrestlers, in 2025, or 2026, will be allowed to participate in the selection trials. This criteria effectively ruled out Phogat from participating. The May 6 circular, issued specifically for selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, also mandated medal wins in 2025 or 2026, additionally clarifying that “past performance will not be considered.”
Phogat, in her petition before Delhi HC, has emphasised that the WFI’s selection criteria “are arbitrary in design and discriminatory in effect including being contrary to past practice”, and has highlighted that the qualification window chosen by WFI “substantially overlapped” with Phogat’s notified “sabbatical, return-to-training period, pregnancy-related break, and post-partum recovery.”
Senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing Phogat, told Justice Purushaindra Kaurav on Monday, “The larger question is this: this is not a case where I disappeared. I was on maternity leave. I got a show cause notice which effectively said I do not satisfy criteria. Internationally today, if a female athlete takes a maternity break, she comes back, she has to go through a waiting process, but her ranking or her status is protected. Now the policy introduced in 2026 (by WFI) suggests that if you don’t play in the last one year, I’ll not even consider you. I’m allowed by the international federation to participate, but today the local criteria is to exclude me.”
Justice Kaurav however orally remarked, “If that is the policy, it will have to be looked into…let them (WFI) file reply.”
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While Rao requested that she be allowed to participate in the upcoming selection trials, so as to balance equities and subject to the final outcome of the petition, the court orally opined that it needs to hear both sides’ and that the court will have to examine the policy first before grant of any such reliefs in favour of Phogat.
The court issued notice to WFI, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the Indian Olympic Association, and has directed the parties to file their response with respect to the contentions being raised by Phogat, as well as a rejoinder by Phogat thereafter.
The court will hear the matter on July 6.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
