Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma concluded the proceedings on Phogat’s petition, which contested the show-cause notice and the WFI’s selection policy, after the Federation’s counsel indicated that her concerns about participating in the Asian Games selection trials were now moot.
The WFI attorney guaranteed the court that a decision on the show-cause notice would be made, allowing for the petition to be dismissed.
“Decide the show-cause notice dated May 9 within two weeks, informing both the petitioner and the court,” commanded the judge while resolving the petition.
The WFI’s counsel mentioned that Phogat would receive a personal hearing before any conclusions are drawn on the notice.
While Phogat’s senior counsel claimed that the petition highlighted “larger issues” regarding the selection policy, the court maintained that the athlete would need to submit a new petition.
“This can be settled, and you can subsequently file a fresh writ petition,” stated the court.
The court was made aware that, following judicial mandates, Phogat was allowed to take part in the Asian Games trials.
The petitioner’s senior counsel relayed to the court that she had been issued a new show-cause notice regarding her behavior during the trials.
On May 9, the WFI issued a show-cause notice to Phogat, rendering her ineligible for domestic events until June 26, 2026, due to the obligatory six-month notice period associated with athletes returning from retirement in line with anti-doping regulations.
In her petition, Phogat contested the WFI’s selection policy and circular, which restricted eligibility for participating in the Asian Games trials to only medalists from specific tournaments.
Phogat contended that the “qualification window” specified by the WFI significantly overlapped with her acknowledged sabbatical for pregnancy and postpartum recovery, resulting in a “closed and inflexible gatekeeping mechanism” that was evidently arbitrary and discriminatory.
On May 18, a single-judge bench allowed Phogat to submit a “comprehensive reply” to the show-cause notice. However, it denied her any relief concerning her participation in the Asian Games trials.
A division bench, on May 22, approved her involvement in the trials for the Asian Games held on May 30-31, stating that the WFI selection policy was exclusionary due to the lack of discretion to consider a prominent athlete like Phogat, who was returning from a maternity break.
The Supreme Court, on May 29, chose not to interfere with the directive and allowed her to compete.
Ultimately, Phogat was eliminated from the Asian Games selection trials after a close semifinal match, losing to Meenakshi Goyat 4-6 in the women’s 53kg category.
