Delhi High Court allowed Olympic wrestler
Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games 2026
¨
Delhi High Court allowed
Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the
Asian Games 2026.
¨
The trials are scheduled
to be held on 30 and 31 May 2026.
¨
The case involved
eligibility rules issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
¨
The WFI had introduced
revised eligibility criteria for the 2026 Asian Games trials.
¨
Under the new rule, only
reigning national champions from the previous season were eligible to participate.
¨
Vinesh Phogat was
declared ineligible under this rule as she had been on maternity break since
December 2024.
¨
A Division Bench of the
Delhi High Court heard the appeal.
¨
The bench comprised Chief
Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
¨
The appeal was filed
against a single-judge order dated 18 May 2026.
¨
The court directed that
the selection trials be video-recorded.
¨
It also ordered the
appointment of two independent observers nominated by the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports.
¨
These observers are to be
selected from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA).
¨
The Wrestling Federation
of India (WFI) is the national governing body for wrestling in India.
¨
It operates under the
National Sports Development Code.
¨ Eligibility rules for national sports trials are framed by the respective federations.
¨ Such rules are subject to judicial review under constitutional law.
