The Delhi High Court has allowed celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the upcoming trials for the 2026 Asian Games, observing that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) selection policy was exclusionary as it lacked discretion to consider an iconic player returning from a maternity break.A Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia ordered that the selection trials, scheduled for May 30 and 31, would be video-recorded by the WFI, while independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) would remain present.“The appellant (Vinesh) shall be permitted to participate in the trials,” the court said in its order passed on May 22 and uploaded on Saturday.Meanwhile, Vinesh’s path to participation in the Asian Games is becoming increasingly difficult. Even if she wins the 57-kg category trial in New Delhi on May 30, she may still miss out on selection. The reason is simple: Vinesh’s name is not part of the long list sent by the IOA to the organisers of the Asian Games.All national sports federations were required to submit their list of prospective participants to the IOA by May 4. The last date for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to send entries to the organisers was May 14. Sources confirmed that Vinesh’s name was not included in the list of athletes sent by the WFI to the IOA.Rules governing multi-discipline events stipulate that countries can only select athletes whose names are part of the approved long list. Changes are generally permitted only in cases of injury replacements. “Nobody knows what will happen now. If she loses her trial, then the matter ends. However, even if she wins, she is still not a sure-shot selection for the Asian Games,” a source told The Tribune on Saturday.However, she still has an outside chance. Organisers of the Aichi-Nagoya Games can allow her participation as a special case. “We can request the Asian Games organisers to add her name if she wins her trial. Normally, changes happen under the injury replacement rule,” an IOA source said.