WFI shoots down Vinesh’s comeback

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday (May 9, 2026) show-caused double World championships medallist Vinesh Phogat on different grounds, including her failure to stick to the weight restriction at the Paris Olympics, anti-doping issues (multiple whereabouts failures) and participating in two weight categories during the trials for an Olympic qualifier.

Besides, the WFI shot down Vinesh’s attempt to come back to competitive wrestling — at the Senior Open Ranking tournament starting on the Nandininagar Mahavidyalaya campus on Sunday (May 10) — following her post-Paris “sabbatical.” It said Vinesh informed the world body, United World Wrestling (UWW), about her return less than six months ago, the minimum stipulation for a retired athlete to make a comeback.

It’s learnt that there is a written record of Vinesh’s retirement and her decision to return to competition.

In the 15-page show-cause, the WFI highlighted the issue of Vinesh failing to meet the weight stipulation on the second day after reaching the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. It said Vinesh was “duty-bound” under UWW rules to stick to the limit and her disqualification resulted in a loss of medal, negative publicity and reputational damage to the WFI.

The WFI said Vinesh committed whereabouts (where an athlete on the registered testing pool gives time slots and makes herself available to give samples for dope testing) failures, including twice in 2024 and the one on December 18, 2025, soon after she informed authorities concerned about her resumption of training with an eye on Los Angeles 2028.

The federation said it must satisfy itself that Vinesh had not committed any anti-doping rule violation that would render her ineligible to participate in any event, including the Open Ranking event “which is in any case prior to your six months completion from your date of resumption.”

The WFI also accused Vinesh of violating the UWW rule by competing in two weights, 50kg and 53kg trials (which was conducted by an ad-hoc committee as the WFI was not recognised by the Government then), in March 2024.

The federation gave Vinesh 14 days to give an explanation.

Meanwhile, the Open Ranking event here will provide a chance to several talented wrestlers to enter the National camp.