‘In interest of sports and justice’: Delhi HC allows Vinesh Phogat to participate in Asian Games selection trials | India News
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Allowed the famous wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the upcoming Asian Games, observing that it was necessary “in the interest of sport and justice” to allow him to participate in the trials. A bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Kariya directed the WFI to video-record the trials scheduled for May 30 and 31. The court also directed that independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) be present during the process. “The petitioner shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games, 2026, scheduled on 30.05.2026 and 31.05.2026,” the court said in its order uploaded on Saturday, a day after it was passed. “The policy and circular are clearly exclusionary in nature as they do not give any discretion to the respondent No. 1 (WFI) to consider iconic players like the appellant in view of the leave taken on account of her maternity leave,” the bench added. The court also observed that the grounds cited in WFI’s show cause notice to Phogat appeared to be “premeditated” and amounted to reopening settled issues. The order came on Phogat’s appeal against the May 18 judgment of a single-judge bench denying him interim relief on participation in the trial. Phogat, an internationally acclaimed wrestler, was disqualified from the women’s 50kg final at the August 2024 Summer Olympics after being found 100g overweight during the morning weigh-in.(with PTI input)
