Vinesh Phogat is not backing down in his dispute with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), which recently banned him from returning to the National Open Ranking tournament for alleged indiscipline and anti-doping violations.
In a cryptic post on X on Saturday, May 9, Vinesh hinted that she would continue to fight against the federation amid the ongoing feud.
“Life is caught in some deep eddy in the middle. The world looks for flaws in my character, it persists… Life has always held its head high. No sword has the strength to bend,” Vinesh wrote in Hindi.
Earlier this week, the Sanjay Singh-led WFI banned Vinesh from the tournament for allegedly failing to comply with anti-doping rules on his return. According to the federation, Vinesh failed to comply with the mandatory six-month notice period required by the UWW’s anti-doping rules for athletes returning from retirement.
The decision means the two-time world championship medalist will have to wait longer for her return to competitive wrestling. Vinesh has set her sights on the National Open Ranking tournament in Gonda, which starts on Sunday, as her comeback tournament.
In 2024, she announced her retirement from wrestling after a heartbreaking disqualification before the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a 15-page notice, the WFI alleged that Vinesh’s conduct caused “permanent damage to the reputation of Indian wrestling” during the Paris Olympics and accused her of violating provisions of the WFI constitution, UWW International Wrestling rules and anti-doping regulations.
The dispute between the two sides has escalated sharply in recent days. Accusing the WFI of deliberately blocking her participation in the Gonda event, Vinesh reiterated that she was among the six complainants who had accused former WFI chief Brije Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.
However, the federation insisted that compliance with WADA regulations was non-negotiable and said the burden of proof of eligibility was on Vinesh.
“We have to find out whether WADA rules were properly followed. It has not been proven yet that she has fulfilled the requirements to come back from retirement. She has to serve the mandatory six-month notice period before she is eligible to compete again,” WFI president Sanjay Singh told PTI.
Earlier, in a video message shared on May 3, Vinesh said she was forced to publicly reveal her identity despite legal norms protecting the anonymity of complainants in sexual harassment cases. She claimed that attempts were being made to derail her comeback ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and confirmed that she remains one of the complainants in the ongoing criminal case against Brij Bhushan, where evidence is still being recorded.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
09 May 2026 23:59 IST
