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Vinesh Phogat arrived astatine Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, connected Monday (May 11, 2026) and replied to the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) show-cause notice, claiming that she was eligible to instrumentality from retirement adjacent though the nationalist federation maintained that she cannot beryllium allowed to vie successful the ongoing National Open Ranking tournament.
The WFI said she cannot vie until disciplinary proceedings against her are complete.
The nationalist federation had earlier declared Vinesh ineligible to enactment successful home events till June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month announcement play linked to athletes returning from status nether anti-doping rules.
Immediately aft landing successful Ayodhya, Vinesh replied to the WFI’s show-cause notice, claiming that Rule 5.6.1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code concerning retired athletes does not use to her arsenic she had already informed United World Wrestling (UWW) successful June astir her determination to resume contention aft retirement.
In her response, Vinesh argued that she had formally intimated UWW astir her comeback good successful beforehand and, therefore, fulfilled the procedural requirements needed to instrumentality to competition.
However, WFI sources said the federation was not satisfied with her reply and felt that the wrestler had addressed lone the eligibility facet portion failing to respond comprehensively to the broader disciplinary charges levelled against her successful the elaborate announcement issued earlier.
“The reply is not enough. She has not answered the afloat show-cause notice. Until a disciplinary proceeding is conducted and the substance is decided, she cannot beryllium permitted to compete,” a WFI root told PTI.
The contention erupted aft WFI issued a powerfully worded show-cause announcement to the celebrated wrestler, accusing her of indiscipline, breach of federation rules and anti-doping related procedural violations.
Before that, Vinesh had claimed that WFI was trying to artifact her entry.
The WFI besides maintained that a “wrong narrative” was being dispersed that the enactment criteria for the National Open Ranking Tournament had been altered specifically to forestall Vinesh from competing.
Vinesh had announced her status from the athletics aft her disqualification from the women’s 50kg golden medal bout astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics.
While her hubby said that Vinesh ne'er announced her status officially, and simply posted it connected societal media, WFI has maintained that a connection from UWW successful December 2024 acknowledged that she had intimated the International Testing Agency (ITA) astir her retirement.
Vinesh, connected the different hand, has argued that she had subsequently informed the satellite assemblage astir her volition to instrumentality and was truthful eligible to participate the tourney successful Gonda.
The weigh-in for the women's wrestlers is scheduled betwixt 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. connected Monday (May 11, 2026) and the contention is scheduled for Tuesday (May 12, 2026).
The medal winners astatine the lawsuit are apt to get a accidental to vie astatine the World Championship trials aboriginal this twelvemonth but they won't beryllium allowed to vie successful Asian Games trials arsenic per the WFI policy.
