WFI blocking Vinesh while new mothers are helped worldwide in comeback, says Sakshi Malik

Olympic bronze-winning grappler Sakshi Malik connected Tuesday (May 12, 2026) supported Vinesh Phogat successful her tussle with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) implicit coming backmost from retirement, saying that attempts are being made to artifact her astatine a clip erstwhile countries World implicit are relaxing norms to assistance caller mothers resume their careers.

A defiant Vinesh showed up astatine the National Open Ranking Tournament successful Gonda adjacent though WFI had declared her ineligible. While issuing a lengthy showcause announcement to her, the WFI said she could not beryllium allowed to compete owed to the mandatory six-month announcement play that athletes request to service earlier returning from status nether anti-doping rules. Vinesh, who is the parent of a 10-month aged son, has responded to the announcement and refused to backmost down contempt WFI's strict position. Sakshi was a adjacent state of Vinesh during the highly-publicised protestation against alleged intersexual harassment by WFI's past President Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan but broke ranks aft Vinesh joined the Congress party.

"I person been asked my views and I was contemplating for the past two-three days arsenic Vinesh is an MLA from a governmental enactment and I person thing to bash with immoderate governmental outfit. (But) I tin springiness you plentifulness of examples of countries relaxing norms for their athletes, truthful that women tin proceed to play and triumph medals for the state adjacent aft becoming mothers," she said successful a video clip connected her societal media page.

"But our federation has travel up with rules to halt Vinesh from making a comeback. I would petition the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), the Sports Minister (Mansukh Mandavia) and the WFI to instrumentality Vinesh's proceedings truthful that she tin besides triumph medals for the state and beryllium an illustration for women by winning medals aft becoming a mother," she added.

Vinesh had discontinue wrestling aft being shockingly disqualified from the finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics for being 100gm implicit the prescribed value limit. The shattered Haryana grappler yet joined authorities and was elected from the Julana constituency the aforesaid year.