No relief from HC for wrestler Vinesh Phogat for participating in May 30 trials for Asia Games
However, the court allowed the WFI to issue a “comprehensive response” to the show cause notice issued to it over accusations of indiscipline and anti-doping rule violations.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed the WFI to take the rationale for the demonstration to its “logical conclusion” by July 6 and place its verdict before it.
The judge issued notice to WFI and the Center about Phogat’s petition on “ineligibility” and said a balance had to be maintained between “competing interests” in this case.
The senior lawyer representing Phogat argued that she should be allowed to participate in the Asian Games trials scheduled to be held on May 30-31.
He emphasized that while the ranking and status of female athletes on maternity leave are protected internationally, the latest WFI policy excludes them.
Orally, Justice Kaurav said, “You have already been declared unfit. How can we give you this help without listening to the other side… The (WFI) policy will have to be examined. There are conflicting interests. Yes, we appreciate (that you are on maternity leave), but there is also national interest.” Therefore, let them file an answer,” Justice Kaurav said orally.
The court gave the defendants two weeks to submit their responses to the petition.
Phogat’s lawyer said there was “more than meets the eye” in this case as she was barred from participating in a pageant held in Gonda on May 10-11 after the show cause notice was issued a day earlier.
“The show cause was issued to me on May 9. You are raising issues related to the 2024 Paris Olympics. There is something beyond what meets the eye,” senior counsel said, adding that Phogat should be allowed to file a detailed response to the notice.
The court placed the matter for hearing on July 6 and said: “Therefore, the petitioner is granted liberty to file a comprehensive response to the said show-cause notice.
“Meanwhile, WFI is directed to take the show cause notice to its logical conclusion before the next date of hearing. The order, if any, will be recorded.”
The WFI had declared Phogat ineligible to participate in domestic events until June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month notice period associated with athletes returning from retirement under anti-doping rules.
But a defiant Vinesh participated in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.
In 2023, Phogat had participated in the protest of women wrestlers against allegations of sexual harassment by WFI’s then president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
In August 2024, he was disqualified from the Olympic finals in the 50 kg category because he was 100 grams overweight at the morning weigh-in.
