‘She’s Made the Country Proud’: Supreme Court Clears Vinesh Phogat for Asian Games Trials in Major Relief Against WFI”

India’s wrestling landscape witnessed a dramatic legal turn on Friday after the Supreme Court allowed Vinesh Phogat to participate in the 2026 Asian Games selection trials, refusing to stay the Delhi High Court order that had granted her relief earlier this week.

A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the plea filed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), which had challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision permitting Phogat to compete in the trials scheduled for May 30 and 31.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court acknowledged Phogat’s contribution to Indian sport, stating, “She made the country proud,” while deciding not to interfere with the High Court’s interim relief at this stage.

However, the apex court also expressed reservations regarding aspects of the Delhi High Court’s approach and clarified that the broader legal issues raised by WFI would still be examined later.

The legal dispute emerged after WFI objected to Phogat’s eligibility for the Asian Games trials following her maternity break and temporary retirement from wrestling after the 2024 Paris Olympics controversy. Earlier this month, the federation argued that she did not satisfy mandatory competition and anti-doping eligibility requirements necessary for returning athletes.

The Delhi High Court, however, strongly criticised the federation’s selection policy, describing it as “exclusionary in nature” for not accommodating elite athletes returning after maternity leave. The court observed that motherhood cannot become a ground for exclusion in professional sport. The High Court had also ordered that the Asian Games trials be video recorded and conducted under the supervision of independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association to ensure transparency.

Phogat remains one of India’s most decorated wrestlers, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Her comeback attempt has drawn nationwide attention following her controversial disqualification before the 2024 Paris Olympics final over a weigh-in issue.

The latest ruling now clears the path for Phogat to compete for a place in India’s Asian Games wrestling contingent, although the larger legal and administrative dispute between the wrestler and WFI remains unresolved.

Sportscape feels the Supreme Court’s intervention goes beyond a single athlete’s participation, it could become a defining precedent for how Indian sport treats maternity breaks and athlete reintegration policies in the future.

The Vinesh Phogat case has also exposed the growing tension between rigid sports governance frameworks and evolving athlete welfare standards in Indian sport.