Vinesh Phogat's Competitive Future Uncertain Ahead of National Open Ranking Tournament
Eligibility Concerns for Vinesh Phogat
The future of wrestler Vinesh Phogat in competitive wrestling is currently uncertain as she prepares for the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda. This uncertainty stems from questions regarding her adherence to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) requirement of a six-month notice for athletes returning from retirement.
After experiencing disappointment at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Vinesh announced her retirement but later expressed her intention to return to the sport in December of the previous year.
She has registered to compete in the 57kg category at the upcoming tournament scheduled for May 10-12.
However, it is still unclear if the former world championship medalist has met the stipulations outlined in WADA's Article 5.6.1, which governs the return of retired athletes to competition.
According to this rule, athletes in a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) who retire and wish to return must provide a six-month written notice to their respective international federation and national anti-doping organization to be eligible for testing.
The rule also states that any competitive results obtained in violation of this requirement will be disqualified unless the athlete can prove they were unaware that the event was of national or international significance.
This six-month notice period is designed to ensure that athletes do not remain outside the testing system for extended periods before re-entering competition without proper oversight.
Athletes can, however, request an exemption from this notice requirement.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Vinesh has met this criterion. WFI President Sanjay Singh stated, "We are still waiting for confirmation from UWW regarding her eligibility. If Vinesh had requested an exemption, we would have been informed by the authorities."
During her active career, Vinesh was part of the RTP and had re-entered the testing pool after deciding to resume her training and competition, although she missed a test, which was recorded as her first whereabouts failure.
It is unknown if she provided the necessary six-month notice before entering the Gonda event, which is part of the national competition framework.
Attempts to reach Vinesh for a comment were unsuccessful as her personal assistant indicated she was unavailable.
Asian Games Participation Unlikely for Vinesh
Even if Vinesh performs well in the tournament, it is unlikely to aid her immediate goal of securing a spot on the Indian team for the 2026 Asian Games. According to the WFI's selection policy released in February, results from National Open Ranking tournaments will not be considered for Asian Games trials.