The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay the Delhi High Court order permitting wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the upcoming Asian Games, thereby allowing her to compete in the trials scheduled to commence on May 30.
The Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe issued notice on a petition filed by the Wrestling Federation of India challenging the interim relief granted by the Delhi High Court and stated that the legal issues arising in the matter would be examined at a later stage.
While refusing to interfere with the interim directions issued by the High Court, the Bench expressed reservations regarding certain observations made in the High Court order. Nevertheless, considering the imminent commencement of the selection trials, the Court permitted Phogat to participate, subject to the outcome of the pending proceedings.
During the hearing, the Bench examined issues relating to Phogat’s temporary break from competitive wrestling, her maternity leave and alleged non-compliance with anti-doping requirements prescribed by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The Court noted that Phogat had taken a sabbatical in December 2024 and had subsequently informed the federation that she would become eligible for participation from January 1, 2026. The Bench also took note of submissions that Phogat had allegedly missed a doping test and that the explanation furnished before ITA regarding her absence had not been accepted.
Justice Narasimha observed that Indian sports administration remained closely linked with international sporting regulations and anti-doping compliance standards. The Court indicated that failure to comply with global anti-doping norms could have wider implications for Indian athletes and sporting governance.
At the same time, the Court acknowledged Phogat’s achievements in international wrestling and observed that equitable considerations were also relevant in the facts of the case. The Bench, however, expressed reservations regarding the High Court’s approach of treating the controversy principally as an issue arising out of motherhood and maternity leave when the dispute also involved compliance with anti-doping and eligibility requirements.
Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, appearing for Phogat, argued that the controversy was intrinsically linked to her maternity leave and that the wrestler should not be excluded from the selection process merely because she had taken a break from competitive sports following childbirth.
Phogat further contended that the revised selection policy adopted by WFI was exclusionary in nature and unfairly prejudiced athletes returning after maternity-related absence. It was also argued that denying her participation in the selection trials would cause irreparable prejudice to her sporting career.
Opposing the grant of relief, the federation submitted that the eligibility criteria and anti-doping compliance requirements were uniformly applicable to all athletes and were consistent with international sporting norms. It was argued that the regulations were not specifically intended to target or exclude Phogat.
Despite expressing reservations regarding the reasoning adopted by the High Court, the Supreme Court observed that it would not be appropriate to prevent the wrestler from participating in the selection trials at the present stage. It clarified that the legality of the selection policy and issues concerning compliance with anti-doping regulations would be examined in detail during further proceedings.
On May 22, 2026, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia had directed that Phogat be permitted to participate in the selection trials scheduled for May 30 and 31.
The High Court had observed that the selection policy appeared exclusionary insofar as it failed to adequately account for maternity-related absence and did not provide discretionary relaxation for athletes returning after childbirth. It further held that motherhood could not become a ground for exclusion or marginalisation of women athletes.
To ensure transparency in the selection process, the Delhi High Court had also directed that the trials be video-recorded and conducted under the supervision of independent observers appointed by the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association.
The High Court delivered the judgement on an appeal filed by Phogat against an earlier order of a single-judge Bench that had declined to grant interim relief in her pending writ petition challenging the selection policy of WFI and a related show-cause notice issued against her.
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