New Delhi: Olympian Vinesh Phogat Another major hurdle has been thrown in his comeback journey after he approached the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The Supreme Court To challenge Delhi High Court The order allowed him to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games.The trials are scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Saturday, but the federation’s latest legal action has now thrown fresh uncertainty over Vinesh’s immediate return to competitive wrestling.In its Special Leave Petition (SLP), the WFI termed the Delhi High Court division bench’s May 22 order as “illegal retroactively” and argued that the famous wrestler was not given sufficient opportunity to file a detailed reply before the court directed it to be included in the trials.
WFI questions eligibility, allegations. Judicial trespass
According to a report by news agency PTI, the federation maintained that Vinesh Aichi was “ineligible” under the selection criteria published for the Asian Games trials in Nagoya and said the selection of athletes for international multi-sport events falls entirely within the powers of recognized national sports federations.The WFI further argued that courts should refrain from interfering in sports selection matters, warning against it as “judicial overreach”.Giving details of the controversy, the federation said Vinesh had voluntarily retired from wrestling in a communication sent to the International Testing Agency (ITA) in December 2024.As requested, below United World Wrestling (UWW) Anti-Doping Regulations read with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, any athlete returning from retirement must complete a mandatory six-month abstinence and dope test period before regaining eligibility to compete.The federation also cited a “recorded missed test” allegedly filed on May 4 against Vinesh in connection with a failed test attempt on December 18, 2025. Subsequently, the WFI issued a show-cause notice to the wrestler on May 9.The plea said that disciplinary action against Vinesh is still pending and should be allowed to reach its “logical conclusion”.
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The Delhi High Court cleared the way for the trial.The WFI also argued that its election policy, published in February 2026, had no provision for exemption on grounds of “celebrity sportsperson” or maternity. He emphasized that the selection has always been based on merit and recent performance.The federation further pointed out that 12 wrestlers in each weight category had already qualified for the trials through performances in the Senior National Championship, Senior Federation Cup and Under-20 National Championship, and claimed that these wrestlers were not heard before the High Court order.Vinesh had earlier approached the Delhi High Court after he was denied a chance to compete in the National Open ranking event, which was expected to be his first competition after announcing his comeback. Although she initially failed to get relief, the division bench later directed the WFI to allow her to attend the trials in Delhi on May 30.
