Supreme Court Upholds High Court Ruling, Paves Way for Vinesh Phogat’s Trials Return

The Supreme Court of India has granted a significant relief to wrestler Vinesh Phogat by allowing her to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games 2026. The decision came after the court upheld the earlier ruling of the Delhi High Court, which had permitted her inclusion in the trials scheduled for May 30 and 31, 2026. A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the appeal filed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday. During the hearing, the Supreme Court made it clear that once the High Court had already passed an order in favor of Phogat, it would not be appropriate to reverse expectations at this stage. The bench remarked that asking the athlete to simply return home after such a development would not be justified. The court also scheduled the next hearing on the matter for the following week, keeping the case open for further review. The dispute originated when the WFI challenged the Delhi High Court’s ruling in the Supreme Court. Earlier, the High Court had allowed Vinesh Phogat to compete in the Asian Games selection trials, marking a crucial step in her return to competitive wrestling after a break related to maternity. The Delhi High Court’s order dated May 22 had become the turning point in the case. The court not only permitted her participation but also raised concerns about the Wrestling Federation’s selection policy. It observed that the existing framework did not adequately account for exceptional athletes returning after maternity leave and described the policy gap as potentially discriminatory. The High Court further directed that the selection trials should be videographed and monitored by independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), ensuring transparency in the process. The court emphasized that motherhood should not be treated as a professional disadvantage for women athletes. In its remarks, the High Court also criticized the WFI for describing Phogat’s absence from the Paris Olympics as a “national embarrassment” in a show-cause notice, calling such language inappropriate and avoidable. Phogat had challenged the federation’s eligibility rules, arguing that the qualification timeline unfairly overlapped with her pregnancy and recovery period, effectively excluding her from competition. Despite being declared ineligible for domestic competitions until June 26 due to anti-doping regulations applied to returning athletes, she continued to participate in events, including the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda. A former World Championship medalist and one of the leading figures in the 2023 protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Phogat’s case has drawn significant attention within Indian sports circles. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, she faced heartbreak after being disqualified from the final due to being 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in, a decision that sparked widespread discussion in the wrestling community. The latest Supreme Court order is being seen as a crucial opportunity for her comeback on the international stage.