Vinesh Phogat’s return to competitive wrestling has now turned into a full-blown battle with the Wrestling Federation of India. Just days before the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, the star wrestler publicly pushed back against WFI’s showcause notice, accusing the federation of wrongly interpreting the timeline around her comeback and eligibility.
The controversy has escalated quickly after WFI declared Vinesh ineligible to compete till June 2026 due to anti-doping-related return protocols and pending disciplinary proceedings. Vinesh, however, arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Monday and maintained that she remains eligible to wrestle, claiming she had already informed the relevant international authorities well in advance about her decision to return from retirement.
The tournament in Gonda has now become the centre of the standoff between the two sides. Medal winners from the event are likely to earn opportunities for the World Championships trials later this year, while Vinesh has repeatedly alleged that WFI is trying to block her entry into competition.
In a statement issued after receiving the showcause notice, Vinesh said she would provide a detailed reply after consulting her legal team but wanted to publicly clarify certain issues first.
“The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sport and subsequent return to training and competitions,” Vinesh said.
“As opposed to the date stated by the WFI in their notice, i.e., June 26, 2026, I have been deemed eligible to return to official training and competition on January 1, 2026. I have official confirmation from the International Testing Agency (ITA) pertaining to the same.”
Vinesh further confirmed that she intends to compete in the ongoing tournament in Gonda despite the federation’s objections.
“Having completed my registration for the same, I do 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 related concerns mentioned in WFI’s notice, including allegations around whereabouts failures and missed tests.
“With respect to the whereabouts failure from September 2024, and the missed test from December 2025, I confirm that I have cooperated with the relevant authorities promptly, and both events do not amount to anti-doping rule violations,” Vinesh said.
She also denied allegations that she had violated rules during the 2024 selection trials by participating across two weight categories.
“The allegation that I violated various rules by participating in two separate weight categories at the 2024 Selection Trials at NIS Patiala is also false,” she stated.
WHAT IS THE VINESH PHOGAT AND WFI CONTROVERSY?
The latest dispute began after WFI declared Vinesh ineligible to compete in domestic events till June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month notice period linked to athletes returning from retirement under anti-doping regulations.
The federation maintained that Vinesh had officially informed the International Testing Agency about her retirement after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified ahead of the women’s 50kg gold medal bout.
WFI also issued a strongly worded showcause notice accusing the wrestler of indiscipline, procedural violations and breaching federation rules.
However, Vinesh has argued that she later informed United World Wrestling about her intention to return to competition and therefore fulfilled the required process to resume competing.
The federation, meanwhile, is reportedly not fully satisfied with her initial response and believes she has only addressed the eligibility issue while not responding comprehensively to the broader disciplinary allegations.
WHAT DID VINESH PHOGAT SAY ABOUT WFI?
Vinesh maintained in her statement that she remains eligible to wrestle and intends to continue preparations for upcoming competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games cycle.
“Beyond the same, I am reviewing the contents of the notice and will provide a detailed response with supporting evidence to the WFI within the prescribed time limit,” she said.
“I will establish my innocence and will continue my preparations as I approach my return to competition, and I look forward to the chance at representing India in the 2026 Asian Games and upcoming international events.”
The weigh-ins for the women’s wrestlers are scheduled between 5 pm and 7 pm on Monday in Gonda, while the competition begins on Tuesday.
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