Vinesh Phogat can take part in Asian Games trials, WFI is working with a spirit of revenge: Delhi High Court
New Delhi. After reprimanding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for terming wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s exclusion from the 2024 Paris Olympics as a “national shame”, the Delhi High Court has allowed her to participate in the selection trials for this year’s Asian Games to be held in Japan on May 30-31.
Read :- Delhi High Court gave big relief to Vinesh Phogat, said that she should get an opportunity to participate in the selection trials of 2026 Asian Games.
In an order passed on Friday, which was made public on Saturday, the high court said the WFI’s comments against Phogat were “backward thinking” and showed that the wrestling body was “acting out of vindictiveness”. Phogat was disqualified from taking part in the competition due to the new rules set by the WFI this year, which were different from the previous eligibility criteria. The WFI had also issued her a show cause notice (SCN) on May 9. Was issued, under which he was barred from participating in any program of WFI till 26 June.
On May 3, Phogat said that she was one of the six female wrestlers who had accused former WFI chief and former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia said, “It is necessary that (Phogat) be allowed to participate in the selection trials in the interest of sport and justice. In view of the special facts and circumstances of this case, it is clear that except for (her) motherhood and the SCN issued by the WFI, she would have been entitled to participate in the selection trials. Therefore, the circumstances were beyond her control… (Phogat) To protect the interests, it has been considered appropriate to allow them to participate in the selection trials.
The bench, which had a day earlier told the WFI that now we will leave nothing to you, directed that the selection trials be videographed. It also asked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to nominate two independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association to observe the selection trials and submit a report to the court.
In his first comment after the order, WFI President Sanjay Singh said that we will comply with the court order. “However, I won’t be able to comment on specifics because I haven’t seen it yet.” Phogat, who was on a break from December 2024, including maternity leave, was given permission by the International Wrestling Body to participate in the tournament from January 1 this year. But the WFI barred her from participating and, in a show cause notice, also accused her of indiscipline, saying she failed to meet the weight criteria for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Read: – One should not behave with “vindictiveness”: In Vinesh Phogat case, Delhi High Court reprimanded WFI, said – becoming a mother is not a crime.
The bench has now observed that “the standards of selection trials adopted in the policy and circular are significantly different from the previous practice of the WFI,” wherein the WFI used its discretion to select elite players for the Asian Games even if they had not undergone coaching to be eligible for the trials. “…this policy and circular are clearly discriminatory as they do not empower (WFI) to grant any relaxation in the case of eminent sportspersons like Phogat, taking into account the break taken on account of maternity leave. It is a well-known principle of law that on account of maternity, a woman cannot be disadvantaged in any way in terms of her job, career, ranking and promotion during the period of maternity leave,” the bench said. Said.
In its order, the bench said it was “highly condemnable” for the WFI to term her exclusion from the Paris 2024 Olympics as a “national embarrassment”. “The comments made in the SCN despite the award issued by the CAS, which clearly stated that there was no wrongdoing on the part of (Phogat), appear to be premeditated, prima facie based on misunderstanding, and Should have been avoided. The bench said that such comments are backward thinking and show the bad intentions of (WFI) by being vindictive towards (Phogat).
In this case, the simple reason for (Phogat) being dropped from the selection trials is his taking a break and staying away from sporting activities for some time. The timing of her maternity and recovery coincided with the championship schedule; Participation in these championships, as per the policy and circular, was mandatory to meet the eligibility criteria for the selection trials for the Asian Games 2026… (Phogat) had duly applied for a break during 2025, and hence, could not participate in any championships or competitions held that year, as she had given birth to her first child in July 2025. (Phogat) had informed ITA, UWW and SAI about her break, and on 03 July 2025, she also received confirmation that she would be eligible to participate in competitions from 01 January 2026, the bench said.
Although the division bench disposed of his appeal, Phogat’s case challenging the WFI policy and circular, as well as the show cause notice, is still pending before a single-judge bench.
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