Vinesh Phogat’s return to wrestling: What a mess

The guttural grunts of the wrestlers and the sudden drumming of rain on Delhi’s rooftops were drowned out by the booming roar inside the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium on Saturday 30 May. Vinesh Phogat, one of India’s all-time great wrestlers, is back on the mat in a bid to qualify for the Asian Games.

The wrestling community, especially from Haryana, turned up in large numbers to support her. While the cheers drowned out all other sounds in the arena, they couldn’t clear the toxic air that hung over the place all day.

Vinesh’s history with the Wrestling Federation of India is well known and no one expected the WFI to roll out the red carpet when Vinesh decided to make a comeback this year after skipping all competitions since the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But how could one know that a country ambitious enough to host the Olympics would put up so many obstacles in its return that the Supreme Court itself would call the association “vindictive”.

The Phogat vs WFI saga was dark enough for the Supreme Court and then the Supreme Court to step into it. The federation was ordered to let Vinesh participate in the category of its choice.

VINESH’S COMEBACK BEGINS WITH A STRUGGLE

But no. Not for WFI. One of the most powerful sports federations in the country has decided to challenge a wrestler before she even hits the mat.

A day before the trial, the WFI issued a circular stating that Vinesh would have to fight in the 50kg category as the legend had competed in Paris in the same class.

For someone who was originally trying to get to 57kg, it would be impossible to drop seven kilograms without any notice.

When Vinesh Phogat arrived at 6.30am on Saturday morning, the guards refused to let her into the stadium. An early morning spat of words ensued as Vinesh explained that she had to be at the weigh-in at 7am.

Vinesh later told reporters that her weigh-in did not take place at 7 am. They were waiting for WFI to call them. As soon as the 8.30 am call came, Vinesh weighed in the 53 kg category, not the 50. Vinesh Phogat is waiting for her weigh-in on Saturday morning. (PTI Photo)

It was an unexpected twist for the media, which feared the worst for the three-time Olympian.

Vinesh’s camp later revealed that this was just a scare tactic by the WFI and that it did not move them. On Saturday, the athlete had her own weight, food, water, towels and dietary supplements with her and left nothing to chance.

VINESH PHOGAT vs. THE ARENA

The fight did not end there. There was a strange division of the room at the KD Jadhav Stadium.

On one side of the mat stood Vinesh fans, staff or any member sympathetic to the athlete. On the other side of the mat was Sanjay Singh led by WFI and his army of muscular men who were ready to sit and stand at his command throughout the day.

Every time Vinesh got into a difficult position, they cheered loudly. This angered the Vinesh camp and their screams made the whole arena resound.

And when such an atmosphere is allowed to develop, it often boils over.

A COMEBACK TURNS INTO A CONFRONTATION

The moment came in Vinesh’s quarterfinal bout against Nish.

At 0-5 and desperate to win the match, Vinesh went for the deciding pin. She looked ready to end the match. However, the referee intervened and stopped the action awarding Vinesh four points instead of allowing her to complete the pin.

This decision immediately sparked outrage from Vinesh’s corner. Vinesh’s husband Somvir Rathee entered the field directly to protest the targeting. He initiated the stoppage of play by throwing a water bottle onto the mat. After intense shouting and appeals. Vinesh Phogat wins against Nish in Asian Games Tests. (PTI Photo)

One of the issues that upset Vinesh’s camp was the fact that they wanted a clear view of the TV screen where the review was taking place. But strangely the screen didn’t work. The umpires assured Vinesh that the decision would not be taken without looking at the screen.

But the referees did not keep their word.

The outcry prompted WFI president Sanjay Singh to get up from his seat and head towards the Vinesh camp with his entourage. Just when it looked like there was going to be a fight, better sense prevailed.

The police were asked to stop enjoying the wrestling matches and instead focus on their work. Guess where they piled up? Behind Vinesh’s camp. Vinesh’s camp gets into a skirmish against WFI. (Photo India Today)

The three-time Olympian eventually lost in the semi-finals of the competition against one of the rising stars – Meenakshi, much to the delight of WFI fans.

But that’s not the point.

One wonders if international famous athletes who have brought glory to the country face this kind of harassment, what is the status of unknown faces in the system. Phogat has made several serious allegations against the federation and its former boss in recent months, but has found absolutely no reprieve in return.

Instead, the WFI came out tooth and nail against the wrestler and tried to ban her from the sport altogether.

What was supposed to be a joyous comeback occasion turned into an ugly event for Vinesh, who came with one goal in mind – to qualify for the Asian Games.

Instead, she had to navigate uncertainty about her weight class, paranoia about handling her food and water, and biased decision-making that kept her nerves on edge beyond her primary goal.

In any civilized country, this would send the federation or the sports ministry into bankruptcy, but not with the WFI.

Vinesh’s cheers were loud enough to drown out the rain outside the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium. They weren’t loud enough to drown out everything else. Vinesh Phogat after losing in the semi-final against Meenakshi. (Photo India Today)

For all the games that took place on Saturday, the day rarely felt like it was about the game. Not to be, when the athlete was fighting over her weight category the day before the competition. Not when she was stopped at the gate before being weighed. Not when supporters and federation officials spent the day trying to out-shout each other. Not when the broken control screen became the center of the biggest controversy of the afternoon.

What was supposed to be a comeback became a confrontation. Each step of the process seemed designed to create the next flashpoint, the next argument, the next grievance.

Indian wrestling got back one of its greatest athletes on Saturday. Yet somehow WFI found a way to make her return feel ugly.

What a mess.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

30 May 2026 23:05 IST