GONDA, MAY 11 — Celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in Gonda on Monday to formally challenge the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) decision to bar her from the National Open Ranking tournament. Despite filing a response to a recent show-cause notice, federation officials maintained that the athlete remains ineligible to compete until a full disciplinary inquiry is concluded regarding charges of indiscipline and anti-doping procedural breaches.
The primary point of contention involves Vinesh’s return from her post-Paris Olympics retirement. The WFI had previously declared her ineligible for domestic competition until June 26, citing a mandatory six-month notice period required under international anti-doping regulations. Vinesh, however, affirmed that she is in full compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, asserting that she formally notified United World Wrestling (UWW) of her intent to return to competition as early as June.
Read more: WFI Suspends Vinesh Phogat
“Rule 5.6.1 of the WADA Code concerning retired athletes does not apply to me,” Vinesh stated in her reply. She declared that her prior intimation to the international governing body fulfilled all necessary procedural requirements, including remaining available for out-of-competition testing during the notice period.
However, WFI sources asserted that her response was insufficient because it focused solely on the retirement timeline while ignoring broader disciplinary allegations. The federation has sought explanations for her disqualification at the 2024 Paris Games due to weight issues, alleged “whereabouts” failures, and her participation in two separate weight categories during previous selection trials.
“The reply is not enough. She has not answered the full show-cause notice,” a WFI source affirmed. He noted that until a formal disciplinary hearing is conducted to address the entirety of the charges, the federation cannot permit her to take the mat. He further stated that while the athlete was not barred from the venue, she would not be allowed to participate in the weigh-in scheduled for Monday evening.
The federation also dismissed claims that it had specifically altered selection criteria to target Vinesh. Officials declared that a “wrong narrative” was being circulated regarding the entry rules for the Ranking tournament. While the athlete’s camp maintained that her retirement was never “official” beyond social media posts, the WFI cited communications from December 2024 indicating that international testing agencies had been formally notified of her retired status.
