Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 11: The Delhi High Court has rejected wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s plea seeking permission to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 World Championships.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed Phogat’s request for interim relief late Thursday, observing that the eligibility criteria laid down by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) could not be waived specifically for her while the legality of the policy remains under examination.
The court said the eligibility circular issued by the WFI on September 7 applies uniformly to all athletes and that participation in specified competitions is mandatory for wrestlers covered by the policy.
“To reiterate, the criteria prescribed under the circular dated September 7, 2026 apply uniformly to all athletes. An athlete who has not participated in the prescribed competitions, for whatever reason, would not fall within the eligibility categories specified by respondent no. 1 (WFI),” the court said.
Phogat had approached the court after the WFI introduced an eligibility framework for selection trials in six Olympic weight categories. The criteria include medal winners from designated events, wrestlers attending the national coaching camp and athletes selected for the 2026 U20 World Championships.
The 2024 Paris Olympics medallist argued that the framework left her without a route to participate in the trials as she had missed several qualifying events while away from competition due to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery.
Phogat became a mother in July 2025 and subsequently returned to training and competition. She cited her participation in the Asian Games selection trials on May 30 as evidence of her competitive comeback. Competing in the 53kg category, she won her quarter-final bout before losing to Meenakshi Goyat in the semi-final.
Her plea did not seek direct selection to India’s World Championships team but permission to compete in the selection trials, where her inclusion in the squad would depend on her performance.
The court acknowledged that Phogat’s maternity-related circumstances could be relevant to her broader challenge against the WFI policy but said they did not justify granting her an individual interim exception.
“Granting such interim relief to the petitioner alone, without first adjudicating upon the policy itself, may consequently result in unequal treatment of similarly situated athletes who are not before this court,” the court observed.