Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat will not be able to compete in the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships after the Delhi High Court declined to grant her interim relief on September 10. The trials are scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, while the World Championships will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.
Phogat had challenged the WFI’s September 7 selection circular and sought permission to participate despite not meeting the eligibility requirements prescribed by the federation. The dispute centres on criteria requiring athletes to have achieved specified results at designated competitions.
Phogat argued that the framework does not provide an appropriate route for athletes returning after a maternity-related break. The WFI opposed granting her an individual exemption, maintaining that its eligibility requirements apply to athletes generally.
Maternity And Eligibility
Phogat became a mother in July 2025 after being away from competitive wrestling during pregnancy, childbirth and her subsequent recovery. Her legal challenge concerns the application of the WFI’s selection criteria to athletes returning after maternity. Phogat has argued that she could not participate in some of the competitions whose results are required for eligibility because she was away from competition during this period. She has not sought direct selection to India’s World Championships team.
Instead, she has sought an opportunity to compete in the selection trials, with her performance determining whether she qualifies. During the hearing, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma raised broader questions about women athletes returning to sport after maternity and the need for sporting bodies to consider such circumstances within their selection frameworks. The WFI, meanwhile, opposed an individual exemption from the existing criteria.
A Difficult Comeback
The latest legal dispute follows several difficult chapters in Phogat’s career. In 2023, she was among prominent wrestlers who participated in protests against then-WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Women wrestlers had accused Singh of sexual harassment, allegations he denied. The protests became a major controversy in Indian sport.
At the Paris Olympics in August 2024, Phogat competed in the women’s 50kg freestyle category and reached the final. She was subsequently disqualified after being found 100 grams over the permissible weight limit during the final weigh-in. Phogat challenged the disqualification before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a joint silver medal, but her application was dismissed.
She subsequently announced her retirement from wrestling. In December 2025, Phogat announced that she was reversing her retirement decision and returning to competitive wrestling, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics among her stated goals.
Latest Court Order
The Delhi High Court’s September 10 decision means Phogat cannot participate in the September 14 World Championships selection trials under the existing WFI eligibility framework. However, the order does not amount to a final determination on the validity of the WFI’s September 7 selection circular. The larger legal questions raised by Phogat concerning eligibility and athletes returning after maternity remain open.
The court’s observations during the hearing about pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery should also not be treated as a final ruling that the WFI’s policy is unlawful or discriminatory. For now, the immediate outcome is that Phogat will miss the trials that will determine India’s representation at the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Vinesh Phogat’s latest legal battle highlights the difficult balance between uniform sporting regulations and the circumstances of athletes returning after maternity. Selection criteria are necessary to ensure competitive fairness, while the experiences of athletes returning after pregnancy and childbirth raise questions about whether existing systems provide an appropriate route back into competition.
The court has not finally settled that broader question. For now, Phogat’s immediate bid to compete at the 2026 World Championships trials has been unsuccessful, while the larger legal dispute remains unresolved.
How should sporting bodies balance uniform selection standards with the circumstances of athletes returning after maternity?
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