Sports federations in India are supposed to help athletes succeed. But too often, players end up fighting their own federations instead of focusing on their sport. That’s exactly what wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been going through.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court said that letting Vinesh compete in the 2026 Asian Games selection trials was “in the interest of sport and justice.” But that raises a big question: shouldn’t sports federations always care about sport and justice?
Vinesh is one of India’s greatest wrestlers. She was the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at the Asian Games. She has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and competed in three Olympics. But her toughest fight has not been on the wrestling mat.
In 2023, Vinesh joined other wrestlers in protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. At the time, he was a powerful politician and the head of the Wrestling Federation of India. Even though the case is still in court, people close to him continue to control the federation.
The court said the federation acted unfairly and with “mala fide” intentions — meaning it may have acted out of revenge instead of fairness. One notice even used Vinesh becoming a mother against her. This fits a pattern many athletes complain about: federations making unfair decisions without clear reasons.
The harshest moment came when WFI called Vinesh’s disqualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics a “national embarrassment.” Vinesh had become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, but she was heartbreakingly disqualified for being just 100 grams over the weight limit. Wrestlers around the world supported her. But instead of supporting her too, her own federation attacked her.
That says a lot about what is wrong with Indian sports administration. When sports leaders care more about personal fights and revenge than helping athletes, talented players are forced to spend their energy battling for fairness instead of chasing medals.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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