Fighting for a chance to compete in the upcoming Asian Games selection trials, three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat suffered a setback on Monday after the Delhi High Court declined to grant her immediate relief against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Phogat had moved the High Court, challenging her exclusion from the May 30–31 trials and seeking permission to participate pending adjudication of her plea against the federation’s revised eligibility criteria.
Appearing before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao argued that “there was something more than meets the eye” in the matter and urged the court to allow Phogat to compete provisionally, subject to the final outcome of the case.
Also Read: Vinesh Phogat breaks silence on WFI notice, says federation ‘misinterpreted’ comeback timeline
The court, however, refused to pass any interim order without hearing the WFI’s side.
“Unnecessarily, there is no point in allowing you to participate and then telling you that it was a nullity,” the judge orally observed.
The matter will now be heard on July 6 after the court’s summer vacation.
The High Court also allowed Phogat to file a detailed response to the show-cause notice issued by the WFI and directed the federation to conclude its disciplinary proceedings before the next hearing. Any decision taken by the federation must also be placed before the court.
The WFI had earlier declared Phogat ineligible to participate in sanctioned events until June 26, citing alleged “grave acts of indiscipline” and violations related to anti-doping and international wrestling regulations.
Also Read: WFI issues 15-page notice to Vinesh Phogat, bars her from competitions till June 2026
The federation also recently revised the eligibility criteria for the Asian Games selection trials, restricting participation to medal winners from select national-level events held in 2025 and 2026, a move that effectively ruled Phogat out, as she has not competed professionally since the 2024 Summer Olympics.