Vinesh Phogat (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has announced the rules and schedule for the 2026 Asian Games selection matches and one of the major results is that Vinesh Phogat will not be able to participate. The federation said only medal winners from the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, 2026 Senior Federation Cup and Under-20 National Wrestling Championship can participate. The WFI has also clarified that past performance will not be considered.
Watch
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Debut in India: Calls are getting louderVinesh, who is gearing up for a comeback after almost 18 months, is set to compete in the National Open Ranking Tournament in the 57kg category. However, according to the newly announced criteria, her previous achievements will not help her qualify for the Asian Games trials.The women’s wrestling trials will be held on May 30 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, while the freestyle and Greco-Roman trials are scheduled for May 31 at the SAI regional center in Lucknow. The competition will feature 18 Olympic weight classes across three wrestling formats.At the same time, Vinesh received a warning from the International Testing Agency (ITA) after missing an out-of-competition doping test in December 2025 in Bengaluru. Athletes in the testing pool must remain available during a fixed hour slot for surprise testing. Vinesh explained that she was traveling on Haryana Assembly duties and was attending to personal responsibilities after the birth of her child, but the ITA rejected her explanation.“The duty is to be available and accessible without prior notice at the said location,” the ITA said in its notification. The agency added that it would be considered its first “whereabouts failure” in 12 months. However, it is not considered a doping violation and will not prevent her from participating in the upcoming Gonda tournament.
