Vinesh Phogat Hits Back At WFI, Declares Herself Eligible For Wrestling Return

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 17:40 IST

Vinesh Phogat disputes WFI show cause notice, denies indiscipline and anti doping violations, says WFI misread her sabbatical and cites ITA confirmation of eligibility.

Vinesh Phogat has strongly contested the allegations levelled against her by the Wrestling Federation of India, asserting that she remains fully eligible to return to competitive wrestling and that the federation has ‘misinterpreted’ the timeline of her sabbatical from the sport.

The WFI recently issued her a 15-page show-cause notice accusing her of indiscipline and anti-doping-related violations. The federation also declared that she would not be eligible to participate in domestic competitions until June 26, effectively blocking her planned comeback at the ongoing Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.

The WFI notice referred extensively to the controversy surrounding her disqualification from the women’s 50kg final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was found overweight on the second day of competition. It was after she secured what would have been one of the most remarkable moments in Indian sporting history — a win over the infallible Yui Susaki to become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final in wrestling.

According to the federation, the incident caused reputational damage to Indian wrestling.

However, Phogat rejected the federation’s interpretation and insisted that she had already completed the required period away from the sport. “The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sport and subsequent return to training and competitions," she wrote.

She further claimed that she possesses official confirmation from the International Testing Agency (ITA), which oversees anti-doping matters for wrestling under the global governing body UWW, stating that she became eligible to resume official training and competitions from January 1, 2026.

“Therefore, I am eligible to participate in the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda," she added, while confirming that she intends to return to the mat during the event.

Addressing the anti-doping allegations, Phogat categorically denied any wrongdoing. “Both events do not amount to anti-doping rule violations per the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021, or the WADA Code, 2021," she said in reference to a whereabouts failure and a missed test cited in the notice.

She also defended her participation in two weight categories during the 2024 Olympic selection trials, arguing that the ad-hoc committee managing the federation at the time had permitted her participation without objection.

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