The Delhi High Court has allowed celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat to take part in the upcoming Asian Games selection trials. The court said the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) selection policy leaves no room to consider a top athlete like her, who is making a comeback after a maternity break.

Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed Vinesh Phogat's trials

A bench led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that the trials, scheduled for May 30 and 31, must be video-recorded by the WFI. The court also ordered that one independent observer each from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) should be present during the trials.

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"The appellant shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, 2026, which are scheduled for 30.05.2026 and 31.05.2026," the court said in its order passed on May 22 and uploaded on Saturday.

"The policy and the circular are clearly exclusionary in nature as it does not give any discretion to Respondent No.1 (WFI) to consider iconic players like the appellant in view of the sabbatical taken on account of her maternity leave," it stated.

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Court on Vinesh's show-cause notice

The court also observed that the reasons mentioned in the show-cause notice "appear to be pre-mediated and reopening the closed issues" and that "it is necessary that the appellant is permitted to participate in the selection trials in the interest of the sport and justice".

The order came after Phogat challenged a May 18 decision by a single-judge bench, which had denied her immediate relief regarding participation in the trials.

Phogat, one of India’s most well-known wrestlers, was disqualified from the women’s 50kg final at the Paris Olympics in August 2024 after she was found to be 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in.