TIE photo.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court strongly criticised both the Union government and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) while hearing Olympian Vinesh Phogat’s plea challenging her exclusion from the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, questioning whether sports administration was being driven by fairness or personal vendetta.
A division bench led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya expressed shock over a 15-page showcause notice issued by the WFI that described Phogat’s disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics as a matter of national embarrassment. The court noted that the wrestler had achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic wrestling final before being disqualified by a margin of just 100 grams. Judges questioned how such an incident could be portrayed as a national disgrace and warned the federation against adopting a vindictive approach toward an athlete of international stature.
The court highlighted that Phogat had become a mother in July 2025 and observed that motherhood deserves recognition and respect rather than being treated as a disadvantage. The bench stressed that her recent motherhood should not be used, directly or indirectly, to deny her sporting opportunities.
The bench also criticised the WFI for altering eligibility rules in a manner that effectively barred Phogat from participating in the upcoming selection trials. The court observed that the revised policy departed from previous norms and appeared inconsistent with government guidelines that allow accomplished athletes to seek relaxation even without recent medal-winning performances. Judges remarked that the changes did not appear to serve the interests of sport and raised concerns that the policy shift may have been aimed specifically at excluding Phogat.
The court also pulled up the Centre for remaining silent despite the federation’s actions. It questioned why authorities overseeing sports had not intervened and stressed that an athlete’s opportunity to compete should not be jeopardised by administrative decisions. The bench repeatedly urged the government to facilitate Phogat’s participation in the trials, describing the resistance to her inclusion as deeply troubling.
The Centre distanced itself from the language used in the WFI notice and informed the court that a mechanism exists to grant relaxation in deserving cases. The matter remains under consideration.