Vinesh Phogat’s highly anticipated return to the wrestling mat ended in a tense 4-6 semi-final defeat to Meenakshi Goyat at the Asian Games 2026 selection trials on Saturday, May 30 in New Delhi.
But for the star wrestler, competing just 10 months after becoming the mother, the toughest opponent wasn’t in the 53 kg bracket, it was the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
After a gruelling, long-drawn legal battle that reached the Supreme Court just a day prior to the trials, Phogat is now demanding sweeping policy changes for female athletes returning from maternity leave, ensuring they don’t face the same systemic sabotage she endured.
A Landmark Legal Victory for Mothers
Vinesh Phogat’s return, which was her first competition since announcing her retirement post the Paris 2024 Olympics heartbreak, was nearly derailed by the WFI. The federation barred her from an earlier ranking event in Gonda, citing a mandatory six-month notice period under anti-doping rules, despite her receiving clearance from the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The Delhi High Court, and subsequently the Supreme Court, ruled in Phogat’s favor. The High Court explicitly called the WFI’s policy “exclusionary” for failing to offer discretion to iconic players taking a sabbatical for maternity leave.
Speaking to reporters after the Asian Games 2026 qualifiers, Vinesh Phogat demanded a change in policy for mothers who want to return to the sports arena post partum.
“The Supreme Court has taken a big decision for me. After becoming a mother, if a girl comes on the mat, she has cleared her path. This path is open for other women wrestlers. They will have to make a policy. If a girl wants to return after becoming a mother, there should be a relaxation for them. They should get a fair opportunity. They should not get what I got,” Vinesh said.
Defying Age and Fighting For Her Son
At nearly 32 years old and going up against a younger generation of wrestlers, Phogat’s sheer presence continues to shift the dynamics on the mat.
“10 mahine mein main maanti hoon ki maine kaafi achcha kiya hai. Bahut hi… main toh almost 32 ki ho jaungi abhi, aur bahut saari young 20-21 saal ki ladkiyan hain, toh main unke saath mein aaj bhi… unko ye darr hai ki haan, koi hamari senior hai jo aaj bhi hamare saath competition kar rahi hai. Toh unke liye bhi ek competition hoon main… Toh bas achcha karenge wrestling ke liye jitna kar sakte hain, agar ye system karne dega toh.”
(In 10 months, I believe I have done quite well. I will be almost 32 soon, and there are many young 20-21-year-old girls, so even today with them… they have this fear that yes, there is a senior of ours who is still competing with us. So I am a competition for them as well… So I will just do as much good for wrestling as I can, if this system even allows us to do so.)
Vinesh Phogat also expressed forced to divide her focus between the emotional demands of motherhood and institutional barricades.
‘I Have Not Failed At All’
“I have two fights, three fights obviously. One with my son, then I leave the house, then these people are standing in front of me (WFI), and they have put barricades everywhere, then I have to fight on the mat, then I have to cut weight, there are a lot of things,” Vinesh said.
Despite missing qualification for the 2026 Asian Games, refused to let administrative pressures diminish her achievements. Standing firmly against a system she claims was designed to see her fail, she said that she draws her ultimate strength from her identity as a mother.
“The message is for those people who want to see me fail: I have not failed at all. I am proud that I have kept my 10-month-old son healthy, and I am coming back on this mat… I am grateful that I am an inspiration for my son,” the star wrestler concluded.