The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) whether it was willing to permit wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championship scheduled for Monday and to defer passing a final order in the disciplinary proceedings initiated against her.
A bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed WFI’s counsel to seek instructions on the issue and listed the matter for Thursday.
“Take instructions on both the matters. I will hear them tomorrow,” the judge said to WFI’s lawyer.
The court issued the direction while hearing two applications filed by Phogat through advocates Ashita Khanna and Ritwik Prakash.
In one, she sought an early hearing of her petition challenging the disciplinary proceedings which stemmed from the show-cause notices issued to Phogat alleging indiscipline, violations of anti-doping regulations and misconduct during the 2026 Asian Games selection trials.
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In the second application, Phogat challenged WFI’s September 7 circular prescribing the eligibility criteria for the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championship, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1. The selection trials are scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
{{/usCountry}}In the second application, Phogat challenged WFI’s September 7 circular prescribing the eligibility criteria for the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championship, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1. The selection trials are scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
{{/usCountry}}Under the circular, eligibility is limited to specified medal winners from the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda, the 2026 U23 National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Federation Cup, wrestlers currently attending the National Coaching Camp, and those selected for the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championship.
Phogat in her application contended that she did not fall under any of these categories and has consequently been excluded from participating in the selection trials.
During the hearing, Phogat’s counsel Rajshekhar Rao submitted that although the court fixed September 29 as the next date of hearing in the petition concerning the disciplinary proceedings, the WFI subsequently issued a notice scheduling the disciplinary proceedings for September 9 and saying that the same was a last and final opportunity. He said Phogat was ready to participate in the proceedings but urged the court to direct the committee not to pass any final order.
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Rao further submitted that the WFI issued another circular on September 7, effectively barring Phogat from participating in the selection trials scheduled for Monday. “My maternity cannot come in the way of my eligibility to participate. I’m not asking for a free pass,” Rao submitted.
WFI’s counsel submitted that Phogat had been given five opportunities to appear before the disciplinary committee but subsequently refused to participate in the hearing scheduled for September 2, citing the pendency of her writ petition. He argued that she was avoiding the proceedings and could not now approach the court seeking relief.
To be sure, the Delhi high court had on May 22, while allowing Phogat to participate in the selection trials observed that WFI’s selection criteria for the Asian Games which restricted eligibility to wrestlers who won medals in 2025 while disregarding earlier performances was exclusionary.
It left no discretion for the federation to consider accomplished athletes like Phogat, who had taken a sabbatical due to maternity leave, and also marked a significant deviation from the past practice.
In its order the court observed that Phogat’s exclusion from the selection trials was directly linked to her sabbatical and the temporary eligibility requirements. It noted that her maternity period and subsequent recovery coincided with the timing of the championships necessary to satisfy the eligibility criteria, thereby affecting her ability to qualify for the trials.
Phogat earlier revealed that she was among the six women wrestlers who lodged sexual harassment complaints against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Alongside Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, she was one of the leading faces of the 36-day protest held at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in April and May 2023 against Singh. Recently, a trial court in Delhi had on August 3, 2026, acquitted former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of all sexual harassment and criminal intimidation charges.