Click the Play button to listen to article

Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat moved the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking permission to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma asked the counsel appearing for Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to obtain instructions in the matter and listed it for hearing tomorrow.

Phogat has filed the fresh application in her pending plea seeking a policy for women athletes who return to sports following pregnancy and maternity leave. 

In the fresh application, Phogat has sought a stay on the operation of the WFI's September 07 circular insofar as it excludes her from the selection process.

She has also sought a direction to the WFI to provisionally include her in the eligibility pool and permit her to participate in the women's selection trials scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The selection trials are being conducted for India's team for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, scheduled to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 24 to November 01.

The WFI circular provides for the women's trials in six Olympic weight categories on September 14 in the national capital.

Phogat has contended that the latest selection framework creates a “closed” pathway by making eligibility dependent on participation and performance in specified qualifying competitions.

The categories include medal winners of the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda, the 2026 U23 National Wrestling Championship, specified Federation Cup medal winners, wrestlers attending the National Coaching Camp and wrestlers selected for the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championship.

According to Phogat, she does not fall within any of these categories because her absence from the qualifying competitions was linked to her pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum recovery and return-to-competition requirements.

She has argued that the framework contains no mechanism to account for an athlete who was unable to participate in the prescribed competitions for maternity-related reasons.

Phogat has pointed out that she participated in the Asian Games Selection Trials on May 30 in the 53 kg category, won her quarter-final bout and progressed to the semi-final. She, however, adds that she is not claiming any automatic right of selection on the basis of that performance, but only seeks that it be considered as evidence of her return to competitive wrestling.

“That, therefore, the Asian Games Selection Trials performance is a relevant circumstance in determining whether the Petitioner ought to be permitted to enter the present Selection Trials, even if the ultimate selection is thereafter made solely on the basis of the Petitioner's performance in the Selection Trials scheduled for 14.09.2026,” the plea states.

It adds that the WFI cannot rely upon her absence from competitions which she could not participate in during her maternity-related absence while disregarding her subsequent performance after she was afforded an opportunity to compete.

Title: Vinesh Phogat v/s Wrestling Federation of India & Ors.

W.P.(C)-12674/2026, W.P.(C)-12639/2026

Tags: