On Friday, May 29, the Supreme Court of India allowed Vinesh Phogat to compete in the selection trials for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games. The trials are scheduled for May 30-31 at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.
The apex court was hearing a petition by Wrestling Federation of India against the High Court order that allowed Phogat to compete, but refused to stay the High Court order.
The bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe declined to stay the High Court order, paving the way for Vinesh Phogat to compete in the trials.
However, the Supreme Court bench also said that Vinesh Phogat’s failure to attend the doping test in January this year and the International Testing Agency (ITA) ‘s refusal to accept her explanation are concerning. Notably, Vinesh Phogat explained that she had to attend assembly as an MLA in Haryana at the time so she couldn’t give the dope test.
The Supreme Court also questioned High Court’s approach to the case even though they upheld High Court’s judgment. Throughout the hearing, the Supreme Court bench expressed reservations about the manner in which the Delhi High Court had dealt with the matter. The judges questioned how the WFI’s policy could be termed “exclusionary” when the eligibility criteria applied to all wrestlers equally.
The bench noted that all athletes representing India must meet all eligibility and compliance requirements.
Notably, Vinesh Phogat had taken a sabbatical from wrestling in December 2024, she became a mother in July 2025. After that, she informed the Wrestling Federation of India that she would be eligible from January 1, 2026. However, she missed the dope test in January and International Testing Agency didn’t buy her excuse that she had to be in Haryana Assembly as she is an MLA.
On the issue, Supreme Court Justice Narasimha said, “What is concerning when the ITA test is missed, it has a logical consequence, because Indian sports is integrally connected to the world sports. If some kind of disqualification appears at the global level, it reflects on India. You did not give the whereabouts for the doping test and missed the first doping test.”
However, for now, Vinesh is free to participate in the trials starting tomorrow, May 30.
