Ace Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat claimed victory against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday, as the Delhi High Court (HC) greenlighted her participation in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games. The rounds are scheduled to be held on May 30 and 31, 2026.

A division bench of the HC, comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that the WFI’s selection policy was exclusionary in nature, and unfairly disadvantaged athletes like Phogat who had taken maternity leave.

The bench ruled that the WFI’s criteria, which restricts eligibility only to medalists in select 2025 and 2026 tournaments, failed to accommodate exceptional athletes returning after maternity-related absence and recovery.

“Maternity leave cannot harm career,” rules HC

The court, in its detailed 15-page order, observed that Phogat’s inability to fulfil the eligibility conditions was directly linked to her pregnancy, maternity leave and post-partum recovery period. The bench remarked, “It is a well-recognised principle of law that due to maternity, a woman cannot be prejudiced in any manner in terms of her employment, career, promotion and ranking during the period of maternity leave.”

The judges also reflected on WFI’s earlier policies, which allowed discretionary consideration for iconic athletes, including Olympic and World Championship medalists. As per the court, the revised policy marked a ‘significant deviation’ from past practice and left no room for the WFI to exercise discretion in deserving cases.

The order further acknowledged Phogat’s stature as an internationally acclaimed athlete who had brought numerous laurels to the country through her achievements in wrestling.

Court slams WFI over ‘vindictive’ remarks

Furthermore, the bench also criticised the WFI over a show-cause notice issued to Phogat on May 9, which barred her from participating in domestic competitions till June 26. The notice had referred to her disqualification incident at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a ‘national embarrassment’ and accused her of indiscipline and anti-doping violations. The HC termed such observations ‘retrograde,’ ‘misconceived,’ and indicative of malafide intent.

The judges also took note that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had earlier found no wrongdoing on Phogat’s part regarding the Paris Olympics controversy. To ensure transparency, the HC further directed the WFI to video-record the upcoming trials. Additionally, it also instructed the centre to appoint two independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association to oversee the proceedings.