Wrestling Federation Moves Supreme Court Over High Court Order Granting Vinesh Phogat Trial Clearance

The Wrestling Federation of India has challenged a Delhi High Court directive permitting wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the upcoming Asian Games selection trials

May 29, 2026 | New Delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has approached the Supreme Court to contest a Delhi High Court order that cleared Olympian Vinesh Phogat to compete in the highly anticipated Asian Games selection trials. The special leave petition (SLP) was moved urgently, as the crucial national selection trials are scheduled to commence this Saturday in New Delhi.

In its apex court petition, the WFI characterized the High Court’s May 22 directive as legally unsustainable, asserting that the bench ruled in favor of Phogat without granting the federation a fair opportunity to present a detailed response. The governing body strongly argued that selecting athletes for international sports platforms remains the exclusive prerogative of national sports federations, describing the judicial intervention as an overreach into autonomous sporting administration.

Elaborating on the controversy, the WFI disclosed that Phogat had formally announced her voluntary retirement through correspondence with the International Testing Agency (ITA) in December 2024. According to United World Wrestling and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) protocols, any athlete returning from retirement must undergo a mandatory six-month whereabouts and anti-doping testing cycle before regaining eligibility. The federation alleged that Phogat bypassed this mandatory compliance framework. Furthermore, the WFI requested the Supreme Court to allow its ongoing internal disciplinary proceedings against the wrestler to reach their logical conclusion before she is permitted to compete nationally.

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