The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by the Wrestling Federation of India against a Delhi High Court order that permitted senior wrestler Vinesh Phogat to take part in selection trials for the Asian Games. The court noted that the appeal had become infructuous because the trials had already taken place, with Phogat participating but not succeeding. It clarified that the dismissal did not endorse the High Court’s critical remarks about the federation.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar observed that subsequent events rendered the special leave petition moot. The federation’s counsel informed the court that Phogat had competed under an earlier Supreme Court order but did not win. The bench stated that pursuing the matter served no purpose once the trials concluded.
Counsel for the federation argued that the High Court’s adverse findings, including descriptions of the show-cause notice as mala fide, still required review because they could affect ongoing proceedings. The Supreme Court responded that its order should not be read as affirming those observations.
The High Court had earlier struck down eligibility rules that required recent medal wins for trial participation, noting they disadvantaged athletes returning from breaks such as maternity leave. It also criticised the federation’s notice alleging doping violations and Olympic misconduct. The Supreme Court had previously allowed Phogat to compete while urging resolution of sports disputes outside the courts.
