India, Sept. 11 -- The Delhi High Court on Thursday flagged the challenges faced by women athletes whose careers are interrupted by pregnancy and childbirth, saying sporting rules must balance the national interest with the circumstances of women returning to competition after giving birth.

"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 and then they will qualify and someone will have to sit back at home and look after the children. There should be something that you have to do about this also, otherwise this is being very unfair," the court observed, according to Bar and Bench.

The remarks came while the court refused wrestler Vinesh Phogat's pl...