Gonda (Uttar Pradesh), May 11: A defiant Vinesh Phogat’s attempt to compete in the National Open Ranking tournament after replying to WFI’s show-cause notice was on Monday categorically rejected by the federation, triggering a dramatic fresh confrontation, with the decorated wrestler calling it a “pre-planned conspiracy” to stop her comeback.
Vinesh arrived at the venue and claimed she was eligible to return to competition despite the federation declaring her ineligible till June 26, 2026 due to the mandatory six-month notice period for athletes returning from retirement under anti-doping rules. But the federation refused to accept her documents.
“What do you expect me to do? Shall I take sanyaas and stay away? Accept defeat? So that their conspiracy against me succeeds?” Vinesh told reporters after meeting WFI President Sanjay Singh.
“They are not allowing me. They want to see me tried and retired. All I am asking is a fair chance to compete but they are insisting that first I reply to their notice. This is all conspiracy.”
Cleared by WADA, tested twice after that: Vinesh
Vinesh on Monday sought to clear the air over her eligibility status, asserting that both the International Testing Agency (ITA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had cleared her to resume competition from January 1, 2026.
The WFI has declared her ineligible under WADA’s Rule 5.6.1 relating to retired athletes returning to competition.
Vinesh said she had only missed one whereabouts filing and had never committed any anti-doping violation.
“If I had violated any rule, then NADA India would have given me a show-cause notice. Or they would have banned me. Or WADA would have given me a show-cause notice,” she told reporters after the meeting.
“I had missed one whereabouts. And there are three of them. I had become a mother at that time. I had an assembly session. I forgot to update. I even apologised to WADA for that. They gave me a clean chit. They told me that I can participate in any international event,” she said.
Vinesh said she had informed WADA about the circumstances and was subsequently cleared to compete.
The WFI, however, had cited WADA’s rule 5.6.1, which deals with conditions for retired athletes returning to competition, to declare her ineligible for domestic events till June 26, 2026.
Questioning the federation’s stand, Vinesh said international authorities had already accepted her eligibility.
“And here they are saying that they are not satisfied with anything. If I can participate internationally, then you can also be satisfied with the International Federation that I can play,” she said.
She later posted a letter from ITA on her ‘X’ page, revealing that on July 3, 2025 an official conveyed an apology declaring that she can resume competitions from January 1, 2026.
ITA manages anti-doping programme of United World Wrestling (UWW), the international body for the sport.
The wrestler further revealed that she had undergone doping tests even after being cleared and had returned negative results.
“Even after that, I got my doping test done twice. It’s not like I came to the competition after avoiding my doping test. I got my doping test and came clean.”
“I have always been clean in sports. And I am not taking anyone’s right. I am completely clean,” she asserted.
‘Pre-planned conspiracy’
Calling the show-cause notice a “pre-planned conspiracy”, she alleged that the timing was deliberately chosen to leave her with little legal recourse before the tournament.
“I got the notice on Friday night. Saturday I was reducing weight and doing paperwork. They knew exactly when to send the notice, when courts would be closed and when filing would become difficult. This is all pre-planned,” she alleged.
The WFI maintained that she could not compete in the event till the completion of disciplinary proceedings conducted by a panel.
When asked why the WFI issued show-cause notice now, Sanjay Singh said, “She only recently said that she plans to compete in Gonda. Before that we did not know when she plans to come back. Only when she registered she came under WFI. So we acted accordingly.”
“She did not reply when I asked why she competed in two weight divisions. She blamed it on ad-hoc panel. Once she replies and it is a satisfactory reply, we will think about our next move,” he said.
Vinesh said she had informed the WFI on December 12 that she intended to return to the sport.
“Why did you have to wait for six months to give me show cause notice just two days before the competition?” she said.
Still, she gave a short reply initially and will give a full reply within the stipulated 14 days.
As soon as the verification process for women began ahead of competition on Monday, Vinesh came with her husband but her documents were not taken.
The two-time World Championships medallist also expressed anger over being labelled anti-national during the prolonged wrestlers’ protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his associates.
“I have represented this country in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, and now they are calling me part of the ‘Tukde Tukde gang’. Maybe tomorrow they will call me a terrorist or Khalistani,” she said emotionally.
“I am a respected citizen of this country. The Constitution has given me the right to speak and the right to go anywhere in this country. Sanjay Singh has not given me these rights.”
No place to train
The most dramatic scenes unfolded after the media interaction ended. Looking for a place to train ahead of the women’s weigh-in scheduled between 5pm and 7pm on Monday, Vinesh searched for a warm-up area inside the venue only to find it locked.
“Ab training bhi nahi kar sakti kya? Lock toh khulwa do kam se kam (I can’t even train now. At least open the lock),” she said in frustration.
She then moved to the SAI Khelo India Centre hoping to find mats to train on, but there were none available there either. At one point, she requested a police officer stationed nearby to help get the facility opened, but he politely replied that his duty was only to provide security and that he had no authority over the premises.
“We are trying in every way but they are not letting me wrestle. I came here putting my life and mind at stake,” she said before leaving the venue.
Despite the setback, Vinesh asserted that she would continue fighting.
“I am working hard honestly and truthfully. God knows I am clean. If I am right, he will give me strength. We will fight for our rights,” she said.
The federation has sought her explanation on several charges, including her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Games after failing to make weight, alleged whereabouts failures under anti-doping rules, and competing in two weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials conducted by the then IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel.
The women’s competition at the Ranking Tournament is scheduled for Tuesday. The medal winners at the event are likely to get a chance to compete at the World Championship trials later this year but they won’t be allowed to compete in Asian Games trials as per the WFI policy. (PTI)
