The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to seek instructions on whether wrestler Vinesh Phogat can be allowed to compete in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, and scheduled a hearing for Thursday.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, sitting alone, told counsel for the WFI to obtain guidance on Phogat’s eligibility and on her request to postpone any final decision in the disciplinary proceedings that have been initiated against her. Phogat has filed a fresh application in her pending plea, arguing for a fair and structured policy that would enable women athletes to return to competitive sport after pregnancy, childbirth and post‑partum recovery.
The crux of the dispute is the WFI’s September 7 circular, which sets new eligibility criteria for the trials slated for October 24‑November 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Phogat seeks a stay on the circular’s operation, arguing that the new framework creates a “closed” pathway that excludes athletes who were unable to compete due to maternity. She has previously been excluded from the May 30‑31 selection trials under the revised criteria, but a Delhi High Court division bench later permitted her participation, noting that motherhood could not be used as a ground for exclusion.
The case has already reached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the WFI’s special leave petition and clarified that the Delhi High Court’s interim order does not affirm all of its observations. Phogat, however, lost in the Asian Games selection semifinals and failed to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games. Her disciplinary proceedings, including two show‑cause notices issued in May and June, remain pending; she alleges that the actions are part of an arbitrary pattern that has hindered her return to competition.
