Delhi High Court refuses exemption for Vinesh Phogat’s trial: ‘May open Pandora’s box’

On Thursday. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while refusing to grant her urgent relief, to the extent of allowing her to only participate in the selection trials, held that granting any such concession “in substance, [would] amount to carving out an exception, only in her favour, from the eligibility criteria applicable to all other athletes.”

The court also observed that it would “not only be unfair to other athletes across the country who may have a similar grievance against the policy but are not before this court, but would also have the effect of opening a Pandora’s box, with other athletes seeking similar exceptions from the prescribed eligibility criteria…”

“Such a direction, at this stage, cannot be issued without first examining and adjudicating upon the validity of the policy itself,” the court reasoned.

“Undisputedly, the said criteria is not framed specifically against (Phogat), but is to apply uniformly to athletes seeking to participate in the Selection Trials… An athlete who has not participated in the prescribed competitions, for whatever reason, would not fall within the eligibility categories specified by WFI…,” the court

The court also reasoned that the Delhi High Court-granted exemption given to Phogat in May to participate in the Asian Games selection trials cannot apply now as well, given that she is facing fresh disciplinary proceedings for misconduct during those trials.

Phogat is facing disciplinary proceedings by the WFI under two showcause notices: one from May 9 and another from June 17.

Justice Sharma also noted that Phogat had not availed of three opportunities for a hearing granted by WFI for the disciplinary proceedings “and, instead, raised objections regarding the nondisclosure of the composition of the Disciplinary Committee.”

The court will now, however, examine the larger issue of the validity and applicability of the selection policy as set out by WFI in its circular, on September 29.

On Thursday, Phogat had argued before the court that keeping her out of the selection trials for international tournaments this year could effectively end her career, while the WFI had countered that she can return to competition by winning medals at state- and national-level events and “climb back up” to the selection trials.

Phogat, who had been on a break since December 2024 — which included a maternity break — was excluded from selection trials of Asian Games, and now Senior World Wrestling Championship, owing to this condition set by WFI.