Vinesh Phogat Faces Challenges Ahead of Senior Open Ranking Tournament

Vinesh Phogat's Complications at Gonda Tournament

On Monday evening, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat expressed her frustrations in a post on X, revealing that she was denied the opportunity to complete her verification and access the training facilities at Gonda. This incident occurred as she prepared to compete in the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament. Phogat's comments follow the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) show-cause notice issued on May 9, which accused her of indiscipline and potential anti-doping violations, rendering her ineligible for the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.

In her earlier communication on X, Phogat indicated her intention to respond thoroughly to the WFI's notice after consulting with her legal advisors, asserting her eligibility to compete and her desire to participate in the tournament. However, she later clarified that she had received written approval from the International Testing Agency (ITA) to compete starting January 1, 2026, and had registered for the tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda.

Despite this, upon her arrival, she was not permitted to finalize her verification or utilize the training hall. Phogat emphasized that she is not asking for any special treatment but merely seeks a fair opportunity to compete. "I have been granted written permission by the ITA to compete from January 1, 2026. I registered for the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Nandini Nagar, Gonda, on April 28, 2026. However, I have not been allowed to complete my verification or access the training hall here. I just want to compete on merit," she stated, sharing a screenshot of an email from the ITA.

In her previous post acknowledging the WFI notice, Phogat mentioned that she would provide detailed responses to the claims made against her after consulting her legal team. She clarified, "The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sport and my return to training and competitions. Contrary to the WFI's assertion of June 26, 2026, I am eligible to return to official training and competition as of January 1, 2026."

Phogat confirmed her registration for the event, stating, "I intend to participate in the Tournament and mark my return to the mat in a competitive event."

WFI's Allegations Against Phogat

The WFI has outlined four significant charges against Phogat, including her failure to meet weight requirements at the Paris Olympics, alleged anti-doping rule violations, breaches of return-to-competition protocols following her retirement, and infractions during selection trials held in March 2024. The WFI characterized her disqualification from the women's 50kg gold medal match at the Paris 2024 Olympics as a "national embarrassment," emphasizing her obligation to adhere to the prescribed weight throughout the competition.

The federation also cautioned that failure to respond within the designated timeframe would lead to the matter proceeding without her input, allowing the WFI to issue decisions as deemed appropriate.

Phogat's Career and Return from Retirement

The 31-year-old wrestler had announced her retirement shortly after failing to make weight for the gold-medal match at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, she reversed her decision in December, aiming for a spot in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Phogat had reached the final of the women's 50 kg event at Paris 2024, achieving this through a series of remarkable victories, including wins over Tokyo 2020 champion Yui Susaki from Japan, 2019 European Championships gold medallist Oksana Livach from Ukraine, and Pan American Games champion Yusneylis Guzman from Cuba.

She has previously secured gold medals at both the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in the 53 kg category.