New Delhi, September 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to seek instructions on whether wrestler Vinesh Phogat can be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships. The matter will be heard again on Thursday.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed the WFI counsel to obtain instructions on both Phogat’s participation in the trials and her request to defer any final decision in disciplinary proceedings initiated against her.
“Take instructions on both matters. I will hear them tomorrow,” the judge said.
Phogat has filed a fresh application in her pending plea seeking a fair and structured policy for women athletes returning to competitive sport after pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery. The High Court had earlier issued notice to the WFI, Centre and Indian Olympic Association on the main plea and listed it for November 18.
Through the latest application, Phogat has challenged the WFI’s September 7 circular prescribing eligibility criteria for the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, scheduled in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.
She has sought a stay on the circular to the extent that it excludes her from the selection process, besides requesting provisional inclusion in the eligibility pool and permission to compete in the women’s selection trials scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi.
Phogat has argued that the latest framework creates a “closed” pathway by linking eligibility to participation and performance in specified qualifying competitions, without an alternative mechanism for athletes who were unable to compete because of pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery.
Senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing for Phogat, submitted that her maternity-related absence could not be used to deny her an opportunity to participate in the selection process. “My maternity cannot come in the way of my eligibility to participate. I’m not asking for a free pass,” Rao submitted.
The dispute over Phogat’s eligibility has previously reached the Delhi High Court in connection with the Asian Games 2026 selection trials. She had initially been excluded from the May 30-31 trials under the WFI’s revised eligibility criteria.
Phogat challenged the decision, following which a division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia permitted her to participate. The court observed that motherhood could not be treated as a ground to exclude a woman athlete from professional opportunities.
The High Court also questioned the revised eligibility criteria and directed that the selection process be video-recorded under the supervision of independent observers. The WFI challenged the interim order before the Supreme Court, which allowed Phogat to participate in the trials but expressed reservations over certain observations made by the High Court at the interim stage.
After the trials, the Supreme Court disposed of the WFI’s Special Leave Petition as infructuous, clarifying that its order should not be construed as affirming the High Court’s observations against the federation and leaving all issues open.
Phogat subsequently participated in the Asian Games selection trials but failed to qualify after losing 4-6 to Meenakshi Goyat in the women’s 53kg semifinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Meanwhile, proceedings relating to disciplinary action against Phogat also remain pending before the Delhi High Court. On September 1, Justice Sharma sought the WFI’s instructions on her challenge to two show-cause notices issued on May 9 and June 17.
Phogat has alleged that the proceedings form part of a continuing pattern of arbitrary and mala fide action that has obstructed her return to competitive wrestling after maternity. She has also contended that the disciplinary action was initiated despite the International Testing Agency clearing her to compete from January 1, 2026.
The WFI had earlier issued a 15-page show-cause notice to the three-time Olympian on May 9, alleging multiple acts of indiscipline, anti-doping violations and breaches of international wrestling regulations. The federation had also declared her ineligible to participate in WFI-sanctioned competitions until June 26.
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