'We are not stopping, you go and participate': SC permits wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in selection trials for Asian Games 2026

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, refusing to stay a Delhi High Court order that had paved the way for her comeback.

A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe declined to grant a stay on the High Court’s direction while hearing a petition filed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) challenging the order. 

The apex court, however, expressed reservations about the approach adopted by the Delhi High Court.

“We are not stopping, you go and participate,” Justice Narasimha told senior advocate Madhavi Divan, who represented Phogat, adding that she must be allowed to take part in the trials beginning on May 30.

The bench issued notice on the WFI’s plea and made it clear that it would examine the larger issues raised at a later stage.

At the outset, Justice Narasimha voiced concerns over Phogat missing a doping test and failing to provide her whereabouts, pointing out that such lapses carry consequences under international norms. 

The court noted that Phogat had taken a sabbatical in December 2024, announced her return in August 2025, and later informed the WFI that she would be eligible from January 1, 2026, after becoming a mother in July 2025.

While acknowledging Phogat’s achievements and talent, Justice Narasimha emphasised that global anti-doping rules must be followed, as Indian sports is linked to the international ecosystem. 

The bench questioned the Delhi High Court’s view that the WFI policy was “exclusionary,” observing that the conditions applied uniformly and that the core issue was compliance with International Testing Agency (ITA) norms rather than merely motherhood-related hardship.

Senior advocate Madhavi Divan argued that Phogat’s exclusion was linked to her maternity leave and urged the court to let her compete, subject to the final outcome of the case. 

She described any exclusion as a potential national embarrassment. Divan also alleged that the WFI had altered its policy with malice to keep Phogat out.

The WFI maintained that it was strictly following international norms and that there was no targeted exclusion. 

Its counsel pointed out that similar circulars existed since 2024 and that other mothers had also competed under the same rules.

Despite its reservations about the High Court’s reasoning, the bench chose not to interfere with the interim relief at this stage, noting that withdrawing the permission at the eleventh hour would not be proper. 

“Everything is not legal based,” Justice Narasimha observed, hinting at the need for an equitable approach in the given circumstances.

On May 22, a division bench of the High Court had directed that Phogat be allowed to participate in the selection trials scheduled for May 30 and 31. 

The High Court described the WFI’s selection policy as “clearly exclusionary” and held that Phogat could not be prejudiced on account of the sabbatical taken due to maternity leave. 

It ordered video recording of the trials under the supervision of independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association to ensure transparency.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, passed the order on an appeal filed by Phogat against a single judge’s interim refusal to grant her relief. Phogat had challenged the WFI’s selection criteria and a show-cause notice issued to her.