Supreme Court allows Vinesh Phogat to compete in Delhi trials on May 30–31, granting relief after WFI's petition — primary keyword: Vinesh Phogat

The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared an immediate path for Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat to take part in the Asian Games selection trials scheduled in Delhi on May 30–31, rejecting a last-minute petition by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) that sought to block her participation.

Bench decision, timeline
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed WFI’s petition against a Delhi High Court order that had allowed Phogat to compete. The High Court’s direction, issued on May 22, required that the entire trial be video recorded and supervised by independent observers appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

WFI had approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court granted interim relief to Vinesh. The federation argued Phogat’s participation violated its rules on athletes returning from retirement, but the apex court refused to stay the high court order, effectively permitting her to enter the trials.

High-stakes selection
The Delhi trials on Saturday and Sunday will form the basis for final team selection for the Asian Games in Japan in September. Officials said selectors will evaluate performance across the two days and forward names to the IOA. With the Supreme Court’s clearance, Phogat is now eligible to contest in the 50kg category trials, according to sources familiar with the matter.

WFI's stance
WFI had earlier disqualified Phogat from domestic competitions until June 26, 2026, citing anti-doping provisions and the federation’s rule that athletes returning from retirement must give six months’ notice. The federation also issued a show-cause notice accusing Phogat of indiscipline and conduct that, it said, harmed the image of Indian wrestling.

In its petition to the Supreme Court, WFI argued the Delhi High Court order undermined federation governance and the application of UWW (United World Wrestling) rules. WFI officials declined comment outside court but had maintained their position that policy and process must be followed uniformly.

Phogat’s response, background
Vinesh Phogat, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a 2024 Paris Olympian, had announced her retirement after a controversial disqualification at the Paris Games but withdrew that decision in December 2025, saying she aimed for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Phogat has been off the mat for roughly 18 months before ramping up training. She travelled to Gonda recently to take part in a National Ranking Tournament and posted videos alleging bias and mismanagement in domestic wrestling events. In earlier public statements, she accused former WFI president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and criticised the federation’s handling of competitions and refereeing — allegations that have been part of a broader controversy in Indian wrestling since 2023.

Legal and procedural safeguards
The Delhi High Court’s order emphasised transparency measures: continuous video recording of trials and oversight by SAI and IOA-appointed independent observers. The measures were intended to allay concerns raised by both sides about fairness and to ensure selections are based on performance rather than influence, a court official said.

Impact on team dynamics
Phogat’s participation has drawn attention within the wrestling fraternity and from political quarters: she is also a Congress MLA from Julana in Haryana. Selectors now face a sensitive task balancing legal directives, federation rules and on-ground performance. Coaches and rival athletes have expressed mixed reactions in private, with some welcoming the clarity and others cautioning about potential locker-room tensions ahead of the Asian Games.

What happens next
Trials will proceed in Delhi on May 30–31 under the supervision specified by the High Court. The SAI and IOA are expected to finalise observer appointments and confirm technical protocols later Friday, according to officials briefed on logistics. If Phogat performs to selectors’ expectations, she could be named in the Asian Games contingent to compete in Japan in September.

Legal avenues remain open for WFI to pursue its broader challenge on federation rules, but any further stay on these specific trials would require another urgent intervention — a step WFI did not take successfully before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

'Brijbhushan harassed me too': Vinesh Phogat reveals she is among six sexual harassment complainants

Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat publicly identifies herself as one of six victims in the sexual harassment case against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, citing unfair trial arrangements in Gonda ahead of Asian Games 2026.

In a move that has jolted Indian sport, Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat has come forward to disclose that she is one of six women who formally complained of sexual harassment by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India. Until now she had maintained anonymity, in line with Supreme Court guidelines protecting the dignity of complainants in such cases. She broke that silence on Saturday in a video statement, citing what she described as deliberate institutional pressure being mounted against her return to competition.

Breaking a long silence

Phogat was measured but unmistakably distressed as she explained her decision to speak. "The Supreme Court guidelines say that the identity of any victim should not be revealed," she said, before adding that circumstances had made it impossible for her to stay quiet any longer. "I want to say that I myself am one of those six victims who filed a complaint, and our testimonies are still ongoing." It is the first time any of the complainants has voluntarily identified herself in the case, which remains under trial before a Delhi court.

The Gonda problem

The immediate trigger, Phogat said, was a decision by the current WFI leadership to hold the Asian Games 2026 ranking trials at a wrestling facility in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh — a town strongly associated with Brij Bhushan, who maintains a private college and substantial local influence there. She called the choice of venue anything but coincidental.

"He has his own private college, and this competition is being organised there," she said. "That every hardworking athlete will get their due there — this is something very unlikely and almost impossible." She alleged that Brij Bhushan continues to direct affairs at the federation through its current president, Sanjay Singh. "Who will referee whose match, how many points a referee will give — all of this will be controlled by Brij Bhushan and his people," she said, accusing the sports ministry of watching as a silent spectator.

Mental toll on a comeback attempt

Phogat has been working toward competitive wrestling again after stepping away following the heartbreak of Paris 2024, where she was disqualified from the gold medal final on a weight issue in one of the most controversial moments in Indian Olympic history. Her statement made clear that the prospect of competing in Gonda is deeply unsettling.

"Going to his place, to his own college, where every person would be connected to him — going there and competing in such a situation is extremely difficult," she said. "Even after that, whether I will be able to go there and give my 100 percent, I do not think so." She spoke explicitly about the psychological weight that survivors carry into competitive situations. "For a woman, competing in such a situation is very difficult, and every athlete who has gone through such a situation can relate to this."

A protest movement revisited

Phogat was one of the most prominent faces of the prolonged sit-in at Jantar Mantar in early 2023, where she, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik led wrestlers in demanding Brij Bhushan's arrest and removal. Their agitation drew national attention and eventually led to the former WFI chief stepping down, though his supporters have retained considerable influence within the federation's structure. The criminal case — which includes charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in relation to one complainant who was a minor — has moved slowly through the courts.

Pressure mounts on sports ministry

Her statement puts fresh heat on the sports ministry and its oversight of WFI. Critics have repeatedly argued that despite formal leadership changes at the federation, the old power network remains intact. Phogat's account of how referees and match outcomes could be manipulated in Gonda gives that criticism a sharper, more specific edge. Sources within the wrestling community said several other ranked wrestlers share her concerns about the venue but have not spoken publicly.

Whether the WFI or the sports ministry responds by reconsidering the venue, or pushes ahead with Gonda, will be closely watched — and is likely to define Vinesh Phogat's decision on whether she competes in the Asian Games trials at all.