New Delhi: The controversy over Vinesh Phogat’s participation in the upcoming Asian Games trial is far from over.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order allowing Vinesh to participate in the Asian Games trials, scheduled in Delhi for May 30.
The matter will be heard on Friday by a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.
On May 22, a division bench of Delhi High Court allowed Vinesh to participate in the trials, against WFI’s wishes.
Vinesh, who retired in August 2024 following her heartbreaking disqualification from the 50 kg gold-medal bout at the Paris Olympics, announced her return to the mat in December 2025, five months after giving birth to a baby boy. Vinesh said she had realised the “fire never left” and wanted to give it another shot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
She attempted to compete at a ranking event in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, earlier this month but was not allowed by the WFI.
According to the WFI, anti-doping rules prohibit Vinesh from competing until June 26, 2026. However, the wrestler claimed that the International Testing Agency (ITA) has granted her permission to participate from January 1, 2026.
Vinesh took her case to the Delhi HC, which criticised the WFI saying that their actions were not in the best interests of sport, and the ban exclusionary in nature.
“The appellant shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, 2026, which are scheduled for 30.05.2026 and 31.05.2026. The policy and the circular are clearly exclusionary in nature as they do not give any discretion to Respondent No.1 (WFI) to consider iconic players like the appellant in view of the sabbatical taken on account of her maternity leave,” the high court had said in its order.
Now, the case had moved to the country’s highest judicial authority.
