Vinesh Phogat Denied Interim Entry To WFI Trials By Delhi High Court

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

The Delhi High Court has refused to grant wrestler Vinesh Phogat interim permission to participate in the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, holding that allowing her to compete despite not meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria would amount to creating a special exception in her favour.

Justice dismissed Phogat's application seeking provisional inclusion in the eligibility pool for the Women's Selection Trials scheduled for September 14 at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi. The Court, however, made clear that it was not expressing any final opinion on the validity of WFI's September 7 eligibility circular or the pending disciplinary proceedings against Phogat.

Phogat's Arguments Before the Court

Phogat had argued that she could not participate in several qualifying competitions because she was away from competitive wrestling due to pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery. She also contended that she was prevented from participating in the Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda because WFI had issued a show-cause notice against her shortly before the event. She relied on her participation in the Asian Games Selection Trials on May 30, where she competed in the 53 kg category and reached the semi-final. She submitted that she was not seeking any automatic right to selection, but only an opportunity to participate in the World Championship trials.

Court's Rejection of Interim Plea

The High Court rejected this argument at the interim stage, observing that participation in the selection trials itself is subject to WFI's eligibility criteria. The fact that Phogat was seeking only participation and not automatic selection did not exempt her from satisfying those requirements.

The Court noted that the September 7 circular applied uniformly to all athletes and was not framed specifically against Phogat. It held that an athlete who had not participated in the prescribed competitions would not fall within the eligibility categories merely because there was a reason for such non-participation.

Maternity in Sports Policy Question Left Open

At the same time, the Court said Phogat's circumstances relating to pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery would be considered while deciding the validity and application of WFI's selection framework. Justice Sharma specifically left open the larger question of whether sporting selection policies should provide an appropriate mechanism for athletes returning to competition after pregnancy and childbirth, and whether absence of such a mechanism could make a policy arbitrary or discriminatory.

Disciplinary Proceedings a Key Factor

The Court also considered the pending disciplinary proceedings against Phogat. WFI had issued a second show-cause notice on June 17 concerning alleged misconduct during the very Asian Games Selection Trials in which she had participated pursuant to an earlier Division Bench order.

While declining to comment on the merits of those allegations, the Court said the pending proceedings were a relevant circumstance while considering whether Phogat should again receive interim permission to participate in another selection process leading to an international championship. The Court further noted that Phogat had been given repeated opportunities to appear before WFI's Disciplinary Committee in relation to the two show-cause notices, but had not availed of the first three opportunities and instead raised objections regarding disclosure of the Committee's composition.

Previous Court Order Not Applicable

The High Court also declined to extend the benefit of the Division Bench's earlier order permitting Phogat to participate in the Asian Games trials. It held that the earlier relief was granted in the specific context of the then-existing Asian Games Selection Policy and the first show-cause notice and could not be treated as a continuing exemption from eligibility requirements for subsequent competitions.

Upholding Uniformity and National Interest

The Court cautioned that permitting Phogat to participate provisionally would effectively carve out an exception for her from rules applicable to all other athletes. Such a course, it said, could be unfair to similarly placed athletes who were not before the Court and could“open a Pandora's box” by prompting other athletes to seek similar exemptions.

Justice Sharma further stressed that selection for an international championship involves the larger national interest and must be based on a fair, uniform and performance-based process. Therefore, the eligibility criteria applicable to all athletes could not be relaxed in favour of one athlete at the interim stage.

The Court accordingly dismissed Phogat's interim application without deciding the final validity of WFI's selection policy or the disciplinary proceedings. The main writ petition remains pending, with arguments partly heard. The matter has been listed for September 29, 2026. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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