The Wrestling Federation of India has moved the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order allowing wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, PTI reported. A bench is expected to hear the petition on Friday.On May 22, the High Court granted permission to Phogat to take part in the trials for the Asian Games, saying that the Wrestling Federation of India’s policy was exclusionary, because it did not allow the federation to consider athletes like Phogat returning after maternity leave. The court had said that a woman should not be at a disadvantage for taking maternity leave.The High Court had directed that the selection trials, scheduled for May 30 and May 31, be video recorded. It also ordered that one independent observer each from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association should be present during the trials.The directions were issued by a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. Phogat had approached the division bench after a single-judge bench had refused to grant her interim relief.Phogat was one of the wrestlers who had taken part in protests seeking the resignation of Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.Six women wrestlers have accused Singh of sexual assault. On May 3, Phogat said that she was one of them, India Today reported.The Delhi Police registered a first information report against him in April 2023, following the intervention of the Supreme Court. On June 15, 2024, the police filed a 1,000-page chargesheet against him. The case is now pending in court.Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
Wrestling federation challenges order allowing Vinesh Phogat to take part in Asian Games selections
The Delhi High Court had allowed the wrestler to participate in the trials for the Asian Games on May 30 and May 31.













