A selection rule has put Vinesh Phogat’s return to the mat before the courts, raising questions about fairness, maternity and sporting eligibility.
The Delhi High Court has stepped into the continuing dispute between wrestler Vinesh Phogat and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), asking the federation to clarify whether it will allow her to compete in Monday’s selection trials for the World Championships.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma also asked WFI to refrain from passing a final order in the disciplinary proceedings against Phogat until the matter is taken up again on Thursday.
The trials are scheduled to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi. The stakes are significant, with the Senior World Championships scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.
For Phogat, a two-time World Championship medallist, the immediate issue is whether she will even be allowed onto the selection mat.
Two Applications Before the Court
Two separate applications filed by Phogat are currently before the High Court.
The first seeks an early hearing of her petition challenging disciplinary proceedings initiated by WFI. Those proceedings stem from show-cause notices alleging indiscipline, violations of doping rules and misconduct during the 2026 Asian Games selection trials.
The second application challenges a September 7 WFI circular setting out the eligibility criteria for the World Championship selection trials.
According to Phogat’s side, the criteria effectively exclude her from the trials.
Under the circular, eligibility was limited to medal winners from the 2025 Senior National Championships, participants meeting specified criteria from the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda, 2026 U23 Nationals and 2026 Federation Cup, wrestlers in the national camp, and those already selected for the U20 World Championships.
Phogat’s team argues that she falls into none of these categories.
That has become the central point of contention. A wrestler with two World Championship medals could potentially be kept out of the selection process because she does not meet a set of recently defined eligibility conditions.
Maternity Leave at the Centre of the Dispute
Phogat’s counsel, Rajshekhar Rao, told the court that WFI had scheduled a disciplinary hearing for September 9 and described it as a final opportunity for the wrestler to appear.
At the same time, the main petition concerning the disciplinary proceedings was scheduled for hearing only on September 29.
Rao argued that Phogat should be allowed to participate in the disciplinary process but that the committee should not be permitted to pass a final order before the court examines the underlying dispute.
He also submitted that Phogat’s maternity should not be used as a factor affecting her eligibility to compete.
The argument brings the issue beyond one wrestler and one selection trial. It raises a broader question about whether selection rules should account for circumstances such as maternity leave when assessing an athlete's recent competitive record.
WFI Says Phogat Had Multiple Opportunities
WFI has presented a different account of the disciplinary proceedings.
Its counsel told the court that Phogat had already been given five opportunities to appear before the disciplinary committee but had not attended. This included a September 2 hearing that she skipped, citing the pendency of her writ petition.
The federation's position is that Phogat cannot avoid the disciplinary process and then approach the court seeking relief from its consequences.
The immediate question for the High Court, therefore, is not simply whether Phogat should compete. It is also whether the federation can proceed with its disciplinary action while the court is considering the legal challenge to that process.
Court Had Earlier Questioned WFI’s Eligibility Rules
The present dispute is not the first time the same bench has examined Phogat’s eligibility.
On May 22, the Delhi High Court had allowed her to participate in the Asian Games selection trials and questioned WFI’s medal-based eligibility criteria for that event.
The court had observed that a rule based heavily on recent medals could ignore an athlete’s broader performance record. It also noted that such an approach left little room for athletes such as Phogat who had taken maternity leave.
The court had further observed that this represented a departure from the manner in which WFI had handled selection in the past.
That earlier intervention now forms an important backdrop to the latest dispute.
A Larger Question for Indian Wrestling
The recurring disagreement points to a larger issue in Indian wrestling: how should eligibility for national selection be determined?
One approach gives greater weight to recent performances and narrowly defined qualification criteria. Another argues that an athlete's established international record, exceptional achievements and legitimate breaks from competition should also be considered.
Phogat's case sits directly at that intersection.
The controversy is therefore about more than whether one wrestler gets to compete in one selection trial. It raises questions about consistency in sporting rules, the treatment of athletes returning from maternity leave and the balance between federation autonomy and judicial oversight.
For now, the uncertainty remains.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear the matter again on Thursday, when WFI is expected to clarify its position on Phogat's participation in Monday's World Championship selection trials.
The outcome could determine not only Phogat's immediate route back to international competition, but also how Indian wrestling approaches eligibility when established athletes return after extended breaks from the sport.
The Delhi High Court has stepped into the continuing dispute between wrestler Vinesh Phogat and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), asking the federation to clarify whether it will allow her to compete in Monday’s selection trials for the World Championships.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma also asked WFI to refrain from passing a final order in the disciplinary proceedings against Phogat until the matter is taken up again on Thursday.
The trials are scheduled to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi. The stakes are significant, with the Senior World Championships scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.
For Phogat, a two-time World Championship medallist, the immediate issue is whether she will even be allowed onto the selection mat.
Two Applications Before the Court
Two separate applications filed by Phogat are currently before the High Court.
The first seeks an early hearing of her petition challenging disciplinary proceedings initiated by WFI. Those proceedings stem from show-cause notices alleging indiscipline, violations of doping rules and misconduct during the 2026 Asian Games selection trials.
The second application challenges a September 7 WFI circular setting out the eligibility criteria for the World Championship selection trials.
According to Phogat’s side, the criteria effectively exclude her from the trials.
Under the circular, eligibility was limited to medal winners from the 2025 Senior National Championships, participants meeting specified criteria from the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda, 2026 U23 Nationals and 2026 Federation Cup, wrestlers in the national camp, and those already selected for the U20 World Championships.
Phogat’s team argues that she falls into none of these categories.
That has become the central point of contention. A wrestler with two World Championship medals could potentially be kept out of the selection process because she does not meet a set of recently defined eligibility conditions.
Maternity Leave at the Centre of the Dispute
Phogat’s counsel, Rajshekhar Rao, told the court that WFI had scheduled a disciplinary hearing for September 9 and described it as a final opportunity for the wrestler to appear.
At the same time, the main petition concerning the disciplinary proceedings was scheduled for hearing only on September 29.
Rao argued that Phogat should be allowed to participate in the disciplinary process but that the committee should not be permitted to pass a final order before the court examines the underlying dispute.
He also submitted that Phogat’s maternity should not be used as a factor affecting her eligibility to compete.
The argument brings the issue beyond one wrestler and one selection trial. It raises a broader question about whether selection rules should account for circumstances such as maternity leave when assessing an athlete's recent competitive record.
WFI Says Phogat Had Multiple Opportunities
WFI has presented a different account of the disciplinary proceedings.
Its counsel told the court that Phogat had already been given five opportunities to appear before the disciplinary committee but had not attended. This included a September 2 hearing that she skipped, citing the pendency of her writ petition.
The federation's position is that Phogat cannot avoid the disciplinary process and then approach the court seeking relief from its consequences.
The immediate question for the High Court, therefore, is not simply whether Phogat should compete. It is also whether the federation can proceed with its disciplinary action while the court is considering the legal challenge to that process.
Court Had Earlier Questioned WFI’s Eligibility Rules
The present dispute is not the first time the same bench has examined Phogat’s eligibility.
On May 22, the Delhi High Court had allowed her to participate in the Asian Games selection trials and questioned WFI’s medal-based eligibility criteria for that event.
The court had observed that a rule based heavily on recent medals could ignore an athlete’s broader performance record. It also noted that such an approach left little room for athletes such as Phogat who had taken maternity leave.
The court had further observed that this represented a departure from the manner in which WFI had handled selection in the past.
That earlier intervention now forms an important backdrop to the latest dispute.
A Larger Question for Indian Wrestling
The recurring disagreement points to a larger issue in Indian wrestling: how should eligibility for national selection be determined?
One approach gives greater weight to recent performances and narrowly defined qualification criteria. Another argues that an athlete's established international record, exceptional achievements and legitimate breaks from competition should also be considered.
Phogat's case sits directly at that intersection.
The controversy is therefore about more than whether one wrestler gets to compete in one selection trial. It raises questions about consistency in sporting rules, the treatment of athletes returning from maternity leave and the balance between federation autonomy and judicial oversight.
For now, the uncertainty remains.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear the matter again on Thursday, when WFI is expected to clarify its position on Phogat's participation in Monday's World Championship selection trials.
The outcome could determine not only Phogat's immediate route back to international competition, but also how Indian wrestling approaches eligibility when established athletes return after extended breaks from the sport.
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