Vinesh Phogat’s return to competitive wrestling has now turned into a full-fledged battle with the Wrestling Federation of India. Just days before the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, the star wrestler publicly opposed the WFI’s announcement, accusing the federation of misinterpreting the timeline of her return and eligibility.
The controversy quickly escalated after the WFI declared Vinesh ineligible to compete until June 2026 due to anti-doping reentry protocols and ongoing disciplinary proceedings. However, Vinesh reached Uttar Pradesh on Monday and claimed that she remained fit to compete, claiming that she had already informed the relevant international authorities well in advance of her decision to return from retirement.
The Gonda tournament has now become the focus of the stalemate between the two sides. Medal winners from the event are likely to get opportunities for the World Championship trials later this year, while Vinesh has repeatedly claimed that the WFI is trying to block her from entering the competition.
In a statement issued after receiving the show-cause notice, Vinesh said she would provide a detailed response after consulting her legal team, but first wanted to publicly clarify certain issues.
“The WFI misinterpreted the timelines of my time off from the sport and my subsequent return to training and competition,” Vinesh said.
“As against the date given by the WFI in their notification ie 26th June 2026, I am considered fit to return to official training and competition on 1st January 2026. I have an official confirmation from the International Testing Agency (ITA) regarding the same.”
Vinesh further confirmed that despite the federation’s reservations, she intends to participate in the ongoing tournament in Gonda.
“After completing the registration for the same, I intend to participate in the tournament and mark my return to the mat in a competitive event,” she added.
The wrestler also addressed the anti-doping concerns raised in the WFI announcement, including allegations of whereabouts failures and missed tests.
“With regard to the September 2024 whereabouts failure and the December 2025 missed test, I confirm that I have cooperated immediately with the relevant authorities and both events do not constitute anti-doping rule violations,” Vinesh said.
She also denied allegations that she broke the rules during the 2024 selection trials by competing in two weight categories.
“The allegation that I have violated various rules by participating in two separate weight categories in the 2024 selection exams at NIS Patiala is also false,” she said.
WHAT IS THE VINESH PHOGAT AND WFI CONTROVERSY?
The latest dispute began after the WFI declared Vinesh ineligible to compete in domestic events until June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month notice period associated with athletes returning from retirement under anti-doping regulations.
The federation claimed that Vinesh had officially informed the International Testing Agency of her retirement after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified before the women’s 50kg gold medal match.
The WFI also issued a strongly worded notice accusing the wrestler of indiscipline, procedural violations and violations of federation rules.
However, Vinesh claimed that she later informed United World Wrestling of her intention to return to the competition and therefore completed the required process to reinstate the competition.
The federation, meanwhile, is said to be not fully satisfied with its initial response, believing it only addressed the eligibility issue without a comprehensive response to the wider disciplinary allegations.
WHAT DID VINESH PHOGAT SAY ABOUT WFI?
In a statement, Vinesh maintained that she remains fit to compete and intends to continue her preparations for the upcoming competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games cycle.
“Furthermore, I am reviewing the content of the notification and will provide WFI with a detailed response with supporting evidence within the specified time frame,” she said.
“I will establish my innocence and continue my preparations as I approach my return to competition and look forward to the opportunity to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games and the upcoming international events.”
The weigh-in of female wrestlers is scheduled for Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. in Gond, the competition starts on Tuesday.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
11 May 2026 16:41 IST
