Delhi High Court Criticizes Wrestling Federation Over Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court expressed strong disapproval of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday for its assertion that wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the 2024 Olympic Games constituted a “national shame.” The court emphasized its commitment to ensuring Phogat’s participation in the upcoming selection trials for the Asian Games, scheduled for May 30 in Delhi, and indicated it would issue a ruling following WFI’s resistance to allow her to compete, despite receiving clearance from the international governing body.
“Was it a national shame? Is this how people of this country saw it? That’s how you serve the cause of sports in this country?” questioned Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, criticizing the WFI for denying the Olympian a chance to compete in the trials, particularly given her past accomplishments. The bench noted that the federation’s shift from its previous practice of allowing participation based on historical performance appeared to be deliberate.
The court criticized WFI’s counsel for mentioning Phogat’s absence from the wrestling circuit, reminding them of her recent experience as a new mother. While WFI’s counsel asserted that the selection criteria were not designed to exclude new mothers, the court highlighted that Phogat’s exclusion seemed to be a direct result of this policy. Had she not become a mother, the court suggested, she would have had the opportunity to compete and be eligible.
In contrast, the Central Government distanced itself from WFI’s position, clarifying that it had not sought Phogat’s exclusion. Counsel for the Centre stated that if Phogat successfully clears the trials, the framework established by the Sports Authority of India allows for relaxation of criteria for her participation in the Asian Games. However, any modification to the trial participation criteria would need to come from WFI.
The court called WFI’s selection policy “absolutely retrograde” and questioned whether the Centre had been informed about the changes in criteria. It recommended that the trials be conducted under the supervision of WFI’s technical team with independent observers appointed by the Centre and the Indian Olympic Association, ensuring that the process is properly documented.
Phogat is appealing a prior ruling from a single judge, made on May 18, which denied her immediate relief from the prohibition preventing her from attending the selection trials. In her petition, she challenged WFI’s selection policy, which restricts trial eligibility to medal winners from specific tournaments. Phogat argued that the “qualification window” set by WFI coincided with her maternity leave, framing it as an arbitrary and discriminatory “closed and inflexible gate-keeping mechanism.”
The court expressed concern about the rationale behind WFI’s show-cause notice and questioned why it should not infer that the criteria were altered specifically to exclude her.
