Delhi High Court Advocates for Female Athletes’ Return Post-Maternity
The Delhi High Court has recently emphasized the need for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to establish comprehensive guidelines that facilitate the participation of female athletes returning to competitive sports after maternity leave. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma highlighted the necessity of balancing the interests of the nation with the personal and professional aspirations of athletes.
This came to light during the hearing of a plea by Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who sought permission to compete in the trials for the Senior World Wrestling Championship scheduled for September 14. Represented by Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, Phogat argued that the WFI’s criteria for selection, communicated to her only on September 7, were arbitrary. Rao contended, “Effectively, it means I am out of reckoning for two more years and I am finished as an athlete.”
The WFI’s counsel countered by stating that Phogat was not banned from participating. According to the federation, medalists from 2025 and 2026 are eligible for this year’s World Championship, and Phogat could still advance through state and national competitions.
Justice Sharma, however, pointed out the inherent issues within such policies, noting, “This is the problem. A woman, she will get married, she will give birth to a child, and in that interim period, men will go and win medals… There should be something that you have to do about this also, otherwise this is being very unfair.”
She drew parallels with the legal profession, observing that after taking time off for childbirth, female lawyers often find it challenging to rebuild their client base. “This is something that we are trying to address because you have failed to. How unfair can this be? Therefore, you have to make some guidelines which will balance the interest of the country also and the person also,” Justice Sharma remarked.
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Justice Sharma, with 35 years of judicial experience, expressed her disappointment at the slow progress in addressing these issues. She assured that a decision on Phogat’s plea would be made and an order issued.
The court was also considering two additional applications filed by Phogat. One challenged the WFI’s September 7 circular detailing eligibility for the 2026 World Wrestling Championship trials. The other sought an expedited hearing of her petition against disciplinary actions stemming from allegations of indiscipline, anti-doping violations, and misconduct during the 2026 Asian Games selection trials.
In her petitions, Phogat contests the WFI’s selection criteria, arguing that it unjustly excludes her from the championship following her return to the sport post-pregnancy and recovery. Additionally, she calls for the implementation of a fair and transparent framework to support female athletes’ return to competition after maternity leave.
