A bench consisting of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that the WFI’s shift from its previous practice of allowing eminent athletes to participate is significant, and directed the Centre to ensure that Phogat, who is aiming to return from maternity leave, can take part in the upcoming selection trials for the Asian Games.
The bench stressed that motherhood is honored in the country and that the federation should not act out of malice. It asked the Centre to establish an expert panel to assess Phogat, following a submission from government counsel that the framework provided by the Sports Authority of India allows for flexibility in eligibility criteria under specific circumstances.
“Have the experts assess her chances… Ensure that she can compete,” the court stated, clarifying that it would reconvene at 2:30 pm to allow the government counsel to present further details regarding the formation of the expert team.
The court was reviewing Phogat’s appeal against a single-judge order from May 18, which denied her immediate relief concerning her participation in the selection trials set for May 30-31 for this year’s Asian Games, despite her ineligibility by the WFI.
Phogat’s senior counsel urged the bench to allow her to compete in the trials, arguing that the show-cause notice issued to her on May 9, the day before her participation in a domestic event in Gonda, indicated that someone was desperately trying to exclude her.
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The court expressed dissatisfaction with the show-cause notice, labeling Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics a national embarrassment, and questioned why it should not be assumed that the WFI altered the selection criteria for her.
“She became a mother in July 2025. We are in May. She is a wrestler of international fame. Why can’t it be assumed that the selection criteria were modified for her? Regardless of any feud or dispute, why should the cause of sports be compromised? Motherhood is revered in this country; should it negatively impact someone?” the court remarked orally.
“The amendments to the circular say it all. Don’t behave like this. This is not in the best interest of sports. The deviation from the earlier circular says a lot,” it added.
The WFI had declared Phogat ineligible for domestic events until June 26, 2026, citing a mandatory six-month notice period for athletes returning from retirement as per anti-doping regulations.
In defiance, Vinesh attended the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.
Phogat was part of the 2023 protest by women wrestlers against alleged sexual harassment by the WFI’s then-president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
In August 2024, she faced disqualification from the Olympic finals in the 50kg category for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams during the morning weigh-in.
