The Delhi High Court on Friday, May 22, delivered a massive reprieve to Vinesh Phogat, allowing the wrestler to compete in the Asian Games trials after overturning the Wrestling Federation of India's selection guidelines. In a sharp rebuke to the federation, the two-judge bench termed WFI's actions towards Phogat as "vindictive" and also questioned the sports ministry over its silence in the matter.
The Delhi High Court came down heavily on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), calling its actions against Vinesh Phogat "vindictive" and "retrograde". The federation had deemed Phogat ineligible for the Asian Games trials after reworking its selection policy ahead of her return to competition. The Sanjay Singh-led WFI altered the rules to state that only reigning national champions from the previous season would be eligible to compete in the trials.
In a significant verdict delivered on May 22, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that Phogat was unable to satisfy WFI's "exclusionary" selection policy only because she had been on maternity leave. The court held that motherhood could not become a reason to marginalise female athletes.
"It cannot be denied that the journey of a female athlete through pregnancy and the post-partum period is one that is marked by extraordinary physical challenges, the magnitude of which is often insufficiently acknowledged within institutional sporting frameworks. We cannot remain oblivious to the physiological realities and disadvantages related to child birth that female athletes undergo during maternity," the Bar and Bench quoted the Delhi High Court judgement.
The court's remarks came during a hearing where the judges repeatedly questioned both the WFI and the central government over the treatment meted out to Phogat, one of India's most decorated wrestlers.
The WFI had earlier ruled Phogat ineligible for the Asian Games trials under its selection criteria, despite the wrestler returning to training after maternity leave. The federation's move had triggered criticism from several quarters, with many questioning whether the policy unfairly targeted Phogat, who has been at loggerheads with the WFI since the Wrestlers' protest in January 2023.
The Division Bench also took strong objection to a show-cause notice issued by the WFI to Phogat, terming it "deplorable". The notice had reportedly called Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics for being overweight a "national shame".
The court observed that the language used by the federation reflected clear mala fide intent.
"Such observations made in the SCN despite the award issued by CAS, which clearly held that there was no wrongdoing on part of the appellant, appear to be pre-mediated and are ex-facie misconceived and ought to have been avoided. Such observations are retrograde and show the mala fide intent of respondent No. 1 by being vindictive against the appellant," the Bench said.
The judges also questioned the central government and the sports ministry for not intervening despite the nature of the notice sent to the wrestler.
"These are the administrators of sports? What action have you taken against them? Was the authority of the Department of Sports not aware that such kinds of notices were issued? If she is bringing laurels to the country, will you not give her a chance also?" the court orally remarked during the hearing.
The Bench further questioned whether the sports ministry had been consulted before the federation framed its policy.
"Has she committed any violations? Were you taken into confidence before this policy? This is absolutely a retrograde step and you are sitting silent," the court added.
The verdict marks a major relief for Phogat, who has remained at the centre of Indian wrestling's turbulence over the last few years. From leading protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to enduring heartbreak at the Paris Olympics, the wrestler has repeatedly found herself battling both on and off the mat.
Friday's verdict now gives Phogat a pathway back into elite competition, while also potentially setting a wider precedent for female athletes balancing motherhood and professional sport in India.
