Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat got a rude awakening when the Delhi High Court refused to allow her an interim exemption on Monday to attend the selection trials for the **2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships**. Phogat has been in a dispute with the WFI for eligibility after coming back from maternity leave and the court’s decision came after months of discussion with her.
The development was reported on Friday, September 11, 2026, after Thursday’s proceedings. The trials are scheduled for September 14, so the court’s decision is of great importance to Phogat’s immediate international wrestling aspirations.
Vinesh Phogat Challenges WFI Eligibility Rules
Phogat had approached the Delhi High Court challenging a circular issued by the WFI on September 7 on eligibility criteria for the selection trials of World Championship.
According to reports, the federation’s criteria favored wrestlers who had won medals during the previous competitive period. Phogat contended that applying the criteria rigidly against her was unfair because she had been away from competition, including due to maternity leave.
The wrestler sought an interim exemption that would have permitted her to take part in the trials despite not meeting the federation’s stated criteria. However, the Delhi High Court ruled it was ‘not inclined to grant the requested interim exemption’.
Maternity Leave Becomes Central Issue
We also have a crisis when women return to competition after pregnancy, because women are always physically unable to.
Phogat has also sought a fair and structured system for women athletes on maternity leave. On September 1, the Delhi High Court asked WFI and the Centre for answers to her plea.
Her argument is that athletes shouldn’t effectively lose their competitive path simply because they took time away from sport for pregnancy and childbirth. The whole point is that rankings, selection opportunities and how sporting bodies should accommodate maternity breaks have been made in the wider case.
Court Raises Questions About Women Athletes
At the hearing, the court was apparently concerned about the difficulties women face when returning to sport after childbirth. The problem is not just Phogat’s case and it’s the question of whether existing selection systems are addressing maternity-related breaks properly.
The court asked questions about the fairness of a woman athlete's ability to rebuild competitive status after maternity absence when male athletes do not have to go through the same.
WFI Defends Its Selection Policy
WFI has maintained that Phogat should regain her position through competitive performances. The federation’s position, as reported during the court proceedings, is that she can participate in state and national competitions, win medals and work her way back into the picture.
It is therefore the clash between two competing principles: the need for uniform selection standards for all wrestlers and reasonable provisions for athletes whose careers are interrupted by pregnancy and maternity.
What Happens Next?
The immediate consequence is that Phogat will not receive the interim judicial exemption she sought for the upcoming World Championship trials.
But the larger legal issue of establishing a structured policy for women athletes returning after maternity leave remains important. The outcome of the case would have implications not just for Phogat but in the case of athletes who return from childbirth if sports authorities are to develop the types of rules that are clearer and more inclusive.
For now, the Delhi High Court ruling is a hurdle for Phogat to attend the 2026 World Championships and the debate around maternity and sport continues.
