The Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, disposed of the petition filed by three‑time Olympian Vinesh Phogat on Monday. The petition contested the wrestler’s initial exclusion from the Asian Games trials and the show‑cause notice dated 9 May 2026 issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The court directed the WFI to reach a decision on the show‑cause notice within a period of two weeks and to communicate that decision both to the court and to the petitioner.
Justice Sharma observed that the petitioner remains at liberty to file a separate plea challenging the WFI’s selection policy. The court made it clear that the disposal of the present petition does not preclude Phogat from raising substantive objections to the criteria governing selection for national competitions.
The background of the dispute shows that Phogat was barred from participating in the Asian Games trials after the WFI limited eligibility to medal‑winning performances in certain events held during 2025 and 2026. Phogat had not taken part in any of those competitions. She had announced her retirement after the 2024 Olympics but resumed training in December 2025. The WFI issued the show‑cause notice accusing her of indiscipline, alleged anti‑doping rule violations, and failure to observe the mandatory six‑month notice period stipulated by United World Wrestling regulations before attempting a comeback after retirement. The notice also referenced her disqualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics for being overweight, describing it as a “national embarrassment”, and alleged whereabouts failures under anti‑doping protocols.
Phogat rejected the allegations, asserting that both the World Anti‑Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency had cleared her to compete from January 2026 onward. She contended that the federation’s actions were aimed at forcing her into retirement and were politically motivated.