Delhi HC directs Centre to form panel to assess Vinesh Phogat's case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday came down heavily on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over its decision declaring wrestler Vinesh Phogat ‘ineligible’ to participate in domestic events and directed the Centre to constitute an expert panel to assess her case. A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the WFI’s departure from its earlier practice of allowing reputed athletes to compete “speaks volumes.” The court also asked the Centre to ensure that Phogat, who is returning after a maternity break, is permitted to take part in the upcoming Asian Games selection trials. The bench further noted that motherhood is celebrated in the country and said the federation should not act with “vengeance.” It also asked the Centre to constitute an expert panel to evaluate Vinesh Phogat after the government counsel submitted that the framework of the Sports Authority of India allows relaxation of eligibility criteria in certain cases. "Ask the experts to evaluate her chances.. Ensure that she participates," the court orally said, as it clarified it would take up the matter at 2:30 pm again to enable the government counsel to come back with further details with respect to the constitution of the team of expert. The court was hearing Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against a single-judge order dated May 18, which had denied her immediate relief regarding participation in the selection trials scheduled for May 30–31 for this year’s Asian Games, despite her being declared “ineligible” by the WFI. Vinesh Phogat’s senior counsel urged the bench to allow her to participate in the trials, arguing that the show-cause notice issued on May 9—just a day before her participation in a domestic event in Gonda—indicated that “somebody is clutching at straws” to keep her out. The court expressed displeasure over the show-cause notice, which described Phogat’s disqualification at the Paris Olympics as a “national shame,” and questioned why it should not be presumed that the WFI had altered the selection criteria specifically in her case. "She became a mother in July 2025. We are in May. She is a wrestler of international repute. Why can't it be presumed that you changed it (selection criteria) for her. Whatever may be the feud or dispute, why should the cause of sports suffer? Motherhood is celebrated in the country, should it come to the detriment of a person?" the court orally remarked. "The change in circular says all. Don't conduct yourself like this. This is not in the best interest of sports. Deviation from the earlier circular speaks volumes," it added. The WFI had declared Vinesh Phogat ineligible to participate in domestic events until June 26, 2026, citing a mandatory six-month notice period under anti-doping rules applicable to athletes returning from retirement. A defiant Vinesh, however, showed up at the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda. Phogat had participated in the protest by women wrestlers in 2023 against alleged sexual harassment by WFI's then-president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh. In August 2024, she was disqualified from the 50kg category at the Olympic finals after being found 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in.(With agency inputs)