The Delhi High Court (HC) on Monday turned down wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s plea of letting her participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games slated to be held on May 30 and 31 this year. A bench led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that Phogat had already been declared ineligible to compete in domestic events, making it difficult for the court to give her the nod to participate without hearing all the parties involved. 

Phogat had filed a petition challenging the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) Asian Games selection policy, along with a notification released by the wing on May 9, which barred her from competing in domestic tournaments until June 26, 2026. 

During the hearing, the bench acknowledged the personal circumstances faced by Phogat, including her maternity break, but underscored that ‘national interest’ also had to be kept in view while landing on a proper decision in the case.

WFI policy triggers legal dispute

According to the WFI’s policy issued on February 25, and a subsequent circular issued on May 6, only medalists from select national championships held before the trials would be eligible to compete in the Asian Games selection process. The championships highlighted by the body include the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Senior Federation Cup, the 2026 U-20 National Wrestling Championship and the U-23 National Wrestling Championship. 

The federation had also clarified that previous achievements or feats would not be considered while determining eligibility. 

Notably, a notice issued by the WFI on May 9 accused Phogat of indiscipline and alleged violations linked to anti-doping regulations. The federation claimed that Phogat failed to complete the mandatory six-month notice period required for athletes returning from retirement under United World Wrestling anti-doping norms. 

Phogat’s lawyer says tournament was her only chance

Senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing on behalf of Phogat, contended that the wrestler had initially been allowed to register for the Senior Open Ranking Tournament held in Gonda on May 10 and 11, 2026. However, she was served the notice just a day before the commencement of the event and was subsequently barred from participating after reaching the venue. 

He further argued that the tournament represented her only opportunity this year to prove her fitness and competitive readiness for selection in International tournaments. Adding to this, he pointed out that the qualification timeline overlapped with her sabbatical period, pregnancy, maternity leave and post-partum recovery phase.

Despite refusing interim relief, the court greenlighted Phogat to submit a detailed reply to the WFI’s show-cause notice. It also issued orders to the federation to take a final decision before the next hearing scheduled for July 6, 2026.