Vinesh Phogat’s return hits fresh hurdle as WFI moves Supreme Court against Delhi HC order

NEW DELHI: Olympian Vinesh Phogat has hit another major hurdle in her comeback journey after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order allowing her to participate in the 2026 Asian Games selection process.The trials are due to take place in Delhi on Saturday, but the federation’s latest legal move has now raised fresh uncertainty over Vinesh’s immediate return to competitive wrestling.In its Special Leave Petition (SLP), the WFI termed the Delhi High Court’s May 22 order as “illegal ex facie” and argued that it was not given sufficient opportunity to file a detailed reply before the court ordered the inclusion of the celebrated wrestler in the trials.

WFI disputes eligibility and claims judicial overreach

According to a report by news agency PTI, the federation claimed that Vinesh was “ineligible” as per the published selection criteria for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games trials and said that the selection of athletes for international multi-sport events falls solely within the purview of the recognized National Sports Federation.The WFI further argued that the courts should avoid interfering in matters of sports selection and warned against what it described as “judicial overreach”.Taking into account the details of the dispute, the federation said that Vinesh voluntarily retired from the match in December 2024 through communications sent to the International Testing Agency (ITA).According to the lawsuit, under United World Wrestling’s (UWW) anti-doping regulations, which are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) code, any athlete returning from retirement must undergo a mandatory six-month residency and doping testing period before regaining eligibility to compete.The federation also cited a “recorded missed test” allegedly registered against Vinesh on 4 May in connection with a failed test attempt on 18 December 2025. The WFI then issued a show-cause notice to the wrestler on 9 May.The plea stated that the disciplinary proceedings against Vinesh were still ongoing and should be allowed to reach their “logical conclusion”.The Delhi HC cleared the way for the trialsThe WFI also claimed that its selection policy, published in February 2026, had no provision for an “iconic player” or exemption on the grounds of maternity. He emphasized that the selection was strictly based on merit and recent performances.The federation further pointed out that 12 wrestlers in each weight category had already qualified for the trials through appearances at the Senior National Championships, Senior Federation Cup and Under-20 National Championships and claimed that these wrestlers were not heard before the Supreme Court issued its order.Vinesh had earlier moved the Delhi High Court after she was denied the opportunity to participate in the National Open Ranking tournament, which was expected to be her first competition since her comeback was announced. While initially failing to secure relief, the division bench later directed the WFI to allow it to attend the May 30 court proceedings in Delhi.