The Delhi High Court on Friday pulled up the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for labelling India's star woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat "ineligible" to take part in domestic competitions and directed the Centre to form an expert panel to assess her case.
A bench consisting Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the WFI does not follow its earlier practice of letting the top players to participate "speaks volumes". The bench also directed the Centre to ensue that Phogat is allowed to take part in the selection trials for the upcoming Asian Games.
The bench emphasised that maternity leave is celebrated in the country and said the federations should not act with a feeling of "vengeance". The court asked the Centre to constitute an expert panel to evaluate Vinesh Phogat's case after the government counsel informed the court that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) rules allow relaxation in eligibility criteria in certain cases.
Legal fightback from Vinesh
The court was hearing an appeal filed by Vinesh challenging the May 18 order of a single-judge bench, which had refused to grant her immediate relief on the issue of participating in the selection trials for this year's Asian Games, scheduled to take place on May 30 and 31, despite being declared "ineligible" by the WFI.
Phogat's counsel asked the bench to let her take part in the trials. The lawyer argued that she was served a show-cause notice a day before her participation in a domestic competition in Gonda on May 9, indicating that “somebody is clutching at straws".
"She became a mother in July 2025. We are in May. She is a wrestler of international repute. Why can't it be presumed that you changed it (selection criteria) for her. Whatever may be the feud or dispute, why should the cause of sports suffer? Motherhood is celebrated in the country, should it come to the detriment of a person?"
Further, the court observed that the changes made in the circular made everything. "Don't conduct yourself like this. This is not in the best interest of sports."