Summary of this article
Vinesh Phogat approached Delhi High Court on May 14
Wrestler challenged her exclusion from the national wrestling selection process
Court to examine WFI's selection policy before passing any order
The Delhi High Court on Monday said it would examine the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) selection policy before passing any order on wrestler Vinesh Phogat's plea seeking a fair opportunity to make a comeback to competitive wrestling.
The matter came up for hearing days after Vinesh approached the court on May 14, challenging her exclusion from the national wrestling selection process amid an ongoing dispute with the WFI.
Vinesh had last week reached Gonda in Uttar Pradesh for the National Open Ranking tournament, which was supposed to be her comeback event but the federation asked her to first reply to the show-cause notice.
A frustrated Vinesh then knocked the doors of the judiciary.
"During the hearing, the court asked the former World Championships medallist to respond to the show-cause notice issued by the federation," a source closely following the developments told PTI.
"The court said that it would study the WFI's eligibility and trial norms before arriving at a judgment on whether Vinesh should be allowed to participate in the upcoming selection events." The case adds another chapter to the prolonged standoff between one of India’s most decorated wrestlers and the national federation.
Vinesh, who announced her return to the mat earlier this year after retiring following the Paris Olympics heartbreak, revealed she is eligible to compete as per International Testing Agency (ITA) even as WFI said that she was ineligible.
The WFI insisted that until she replies to the show cause notice, which accused her of violation of WFI constitution and UWW rules, it cannot allow her an opportunity to come back.
The controversy has also split opinion within the wrestling community.
It is learnt that a group of women wrestlers has separately approached the court, arguing that Vinesh should not be granted a direct route back into the national setup and must undergo the same qualification process as other competitors.
Their intervention reflects growing concerns among active wrestlers over maintaining parity in the selection system ahead of major international events, including the Asian Games cycle.
The WFI’s stance has received backing from sections of the wrestling establishment and even international governing circles, while Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia have publicly supported Vinesh’s demand for an opportunity to compete.
