Vinesh Phogat’s comeback halted: WFI issues show-cause notice, declares star ineligible until June 26

Due to the latest setback, Vinesh will now have to wait for her comeback, with the wrestler now being declared ineligible for the National Open Ranking event in Gonda, starting on Sunday, which was supposed to be her return to competition after quitting the sport in 2024 following her disqualification from the Paris Olympic Games.

“We have to see if WADA rules have been followed properly. It has not yet been proved that she has fulfilled the requirements for coming back from retirement. She has to complete the mandatory six-month notice period before she becomes eligible to compete again,” WFI President Sanjay Singh told PTI.

The federation has sought her explanation on several charges, including her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Games after failing to make weight, alleged whereabouts failures under anti-doping rules, and competing in two weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials conducted by the then IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel.

The federation specifically mentioned that she is not eligible to compete in any domestic event till June 26 this year, including the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.

“The Federation must satisfy itself that you have not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation that would render you ineligible to represent the Federation in any forthcoming competition,” the notice stated.

The notice also referred to a May 4, 2026 communication from the International Testing Agency (ITA), acting on behalf of UWW, recording a “missed Test” against Vinesh in relation to an unsuccessful dope-control attempt on December 18, 2025.

Referring to Article 5.7 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules dealing with return from retirement, the WFI stated that Vinesh remains ineligible to compete till June 26, 2026 and therefore cannot participate in any domestic event before that date.

The federation specifically mentioned that she is not eligible to compete in the Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda, scheduled from May 10 to 12.

The federation mentioned that as per world governing body UWW’s rules, any athlete seeking to return to competition from retirement must notify UWW at least six months in advance while remaining available for testing during that period, and she has not fulfilled the condition.

The WFI alleged that Vinesh, in a December 14, 2024 e-mail to UWW Anti-Doping, had declared herself to be on a “sabbatical until August 2025” and indicated that she would resume compliance with whereabouts obligations only thereafter.

However, the federation claimed that her later communication dated December 12, 2025 to the Sports Authority of India, WFI and TOPS-SAI, expressing her intention to resume training and target the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, amounted to a return announcement that did not satisfy the mandatory six-month notice requirement under Article 5.7 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules.

The federation alleged that only six days after that communication, doping control officials were unable to locate her for testing on December 18, 2025, resulting in the ITA formally recording a missed test against her.

The WFI also referred to a previous whereabouts failure notice issued by NADA on September 25, 2024 after a dope control officer allegedly failed to locate her at her declared residence in Sonipat for an out-of-competition test earlier that month.

The federation said that although the ITA has treated the December 18, 2025 incident as the “first” whereabouts failure within the relevant 12-month period, WFI believes there exists a broader pattern of non-compliance.

(With agency inputs)