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4 min readUpdated: May 11, 2026 04:37 PM IST
Vinesh Phogat after winning her Women's Freestyle 50kg Round of 16 wrestling match against Japan's Yui Susaki at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France. (PTI Photo)
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was on May 9 given a show-cause notice by the Wrestling federation of India (WFI) put out a statement on her X account, adding that her detailed response will come after consultation with her legal team. In the show-cause notice, the WFI had levelled charges of anti-doping rule violations and disciplinary breaches, barring her from competition till June 26.
“I acknowledge receipt of the show cause notice dated 09.05.2026 issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to me. I will be providing detailed responses to each claim made in the notice, after consultation with my legal team and my advisors. However, I would like to clear up a few matters pertaining to the notice to the public. The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sport and subsequent return to training and competitions. 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) the agency hired by the international federation UWW, the relevant international federation governing doping control for wrestling, pertaining to the same. Therefore, I am eligible to participate in the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda scheduled for May 10-12, 2026. 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,” Vinesh’s statement read.
“With respect to the whereabouts failure from September 2024, and the Missed Test from December 2025, I confirm that I have co-operated with the relevant result management authorities promptly, and that both events do not amount to anti-doping rule violations per the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021 or the WADA Code, 2021. 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, as the Ad-Hoc Committee governing the WFI at that point of time was well aware of my participation and made no objection at such stage while allowing me to participate. 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 of fourteen days. 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,” she added.
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) May 11, 2026
On Saturday, in a 15-page show-cause notice issued to Vinesh, the WFI said that she had failed to fulfil the mandatory six-month notice period applicable to a wrestler who wants to make a return to competition after retirement. The WFI wrote in the notice that Vinesh, in a letter to United World Wrestling (UWW) in December 2024, had said that she would be on a sabbatical till August 2025. She missed a dope test on December 18, days after informing the WFI, UWW and the Sports Authority of India that she was resuming training, it added.
Vinesh was also in violation of UWW competition rules after participating in two weight categories in the Asian and World Olympics Qualifier trials held by the ad-hoc committee in March 2024 when the WFI was suspended, the show-cause notice claimed.
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