Vinesh Phogat has finally received major relief from the Delhi High Court. The star Indian wrestler, whose return to competitive wrestling was blocked due to the Wrestling Federation of India’s new regulations, has now been allowed to participate in the Asian Games qualification trials.
A division bench of Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia ruled in Vinesh’s favour and permitted her to compete in the trials. The court said the wrestler should not suffer because of circumstances beyond her control.
“Keeping in mind the principles of sportsmanship and fairness, Vinesh Phogat must be allowed to participate in the trials,” the bench observed.
The judges also pointed towards two major reasons behind her absence from competition, motherhood and the federation’s newly introduced rules. “It is evident that these circumstances were not under her control,” the court added.
The High Court strongly backed the wrestler while highlighting her achievements for the country. Vinesh is a gold medallist at both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. According to the court, athletes of such stature deserve certain considerations.
“Pregnant athletes cannot enter the wrestling arena during that period. But that cannot become a reason to destroy someone’s career,” the judges remarked.
The bench further stated that denying Vinesh an opportunity to compete would send a poor message.
“Preventing a legendary wrestler like Vinesh from competing would be unfortunate for the country,” the court said.
The court also ordered complete video recording of the trials. Additionally, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will appoint two neutral observers for the event. They will monitor the entire process and later submit a report before the Delhi High Court.
The National Open Ranking competition is scheduled to take place on May 30 and 31 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. The tournament will serve as the final qualification event for the Asian Games. Vinesh had planned her comeback through this competition after remaining away from wrestling for nearly 18 months.
After becoming a mother, Vinesh publicly expressed her desire to return to the mat. However, she faced difficulties while registering for the competition. According to the wrestler, even repeated communication with the federation failed to resolve the issue.
The Wrestling Federation of India defended its decision by referring to anti-doping regulations. According to federation rules, any wrestler returning from retirement must complete a mandatory six-month notice period before participating in domestic tournaments. Based on that regulation, the federation claimed Vinesh could not compete before June 26.
However, Vinesh rejected that argument. She stated that she had already informed United World Wrestling (UWW) in June last year regarding her decision to return to wrestling. Therefore, according to her, the formal process for ending retirement had already been completed.
Reports also confirmed that Vinesh had already reached Gonda ahead of the competition.
Despite that, the federation reportedly remained unhappy with her response. Officials claimed that while Vinesh explained her return procedure, she failed to address allegations related to indiscipline and refusal to undergo a dope test.
Speaking to PTI, a federation official said, “Her response cannot be considered complete. Until all allegations are investigated properly, she cannot be allowed to compete.”
Following the controversy and uncertainty surrounding her participation, Vinesh approached the Delhi High Court for relief. The court’s decision has now cleared the path for her much-awaited return to competitive wrestling.
