The Delhi High Court directed the Centre on Friday to form an expert committee to assess wrestler Vinesh Phogat's case and facilitate her participation in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games.
The court also criticised the Wrestling Federation of India for declaring the star wrestler "ineligible" to compete in domestic events.
During the hearing, the court questioned why wrestling as a sport should suffer because of ongoing disputes within the federation. "Whatever may be the feud or dispute, why should the cause of wrestling suffer?" the bench observed, according to a Press Trust of India report.
The WFI's notice had barred Phogat from competing in domestic events, including the National Open Ranking tournament, until June 26.
As per the federation's February 25 selection policy and a circular issued on May 6, only medal winners from the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, 2026 Senior Federation Cup, 2026 Under-20 National Wrestling Championship and Under-23 National Wrestling Championship would qualify for the Asian Games selection trials, provided those events were completed before the trials. The circular further clarified that past achievements and performances would not be considered.
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In its May 9 notice, the WFI accused Phogat of indiscipline and alleged violations related to anti-doping regulations. The federation claimed that the wrestler failed to complete the mandatory six-month notice period required for athletes returning from retirement under United World Wrestling's anti-doping rules.
The court acknowledged that Phogat was on maternity leave but stressed that the larger interests of Indian wrestling also needed to be protected.
The bench permitted Phogat to file a detailed response to the WFI's show-cause notice and instructed the federation to take a final decision before the next hearing, scheduled for July 6. Notices were also issued to the Centre, the WFI and the Indian Olympic Association on the wrestler's petition.
Earlier this month, Phogat had reiterated that she was among the six women wrestlers who filed sexual harassment complaints against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Alongside Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, she became one of the leading faces of the 36-day protest staged at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in 2023 against Singh.
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