The Delhi High Court has allowed wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games [3].
The ruling establishes a legal precedent against the exclusion of female athletes based on maternity leave, challenging the discretionary power of sports governing bodies in India.
The court issued a 15-page order [1] and said that the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) conduct was "vindictive and exclusionary" [2]. The decision comes as Phogat sought to overturn a policy that had barred her from the selection process held in New Delhi [2].
According to the court, Phogat's exclusion from the trials was directly linked to her sabbatical [1]. The judges found that the WFI's policy was discriminatory, specifically targeting her time away for maternity reasons. The court said, "Motherhood cannot become a ground for exclusion" [4].
The trials were scheduled for May 30, 2024 [2]. The court's intervention ensures that Phogat can compete for a spot in the 2026 Asian Games [3], despite the WFI's attempts to keep her out of the proceedings.
The judgment emphasizes that administrative policies in sports must not infringe upon fundamental rights, or penalize athletes for biological and familial milestones. By labeling the WFI's actions as vindictive, the court has signaled a low tolerance for exclusionary practices that target female competitors during their transition back to professional sports [2].
“Motherhood cannot become a ground for exclusion.”
This ruling restricts the ability of national sports federations to use 'activity' or 'sabbatical' clauses to disqualify athletes who take maternity leave. By framing motherhood as an invalid ground for exclusion, the Delhi High Court is aligning sports administration with broader gender equality and labor protections, potentially forcing other Indian sports bodies to revise their eligibility criteria for returning female athletes.
