WFI’s showcause letter has been effectively answered in public by Vinesh Phogat, who said the federation misjudged her return time. The wrestler said she is still eligible to finish and hopes to be back in action in the National Open Ranking Competition in Gonda.
Vinesh Phogat’s comeback to inexpensive wrestling has now taken the shape of a full-on struggle iwth the Fumbling Federation of India. A few days ahead of the National Open Position Competition in Gonda, the star wrestler had publicly fought back against WFI’s showcause letter accusing the federation of wrongly analysing the timeframe surrounding her comeback and qualifying.
The conflict has really escalated swiftly when WFI ruled Vinesh unable to take part until JUne 2026 due to anti-doping-related return requirements and outstanding disciplinary processes. Vinesh, however, arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Monday and maintained that she is still qualified to wrestle, saying she had already notified the necessary worldwide authorities well in advance about her decision to come out of retirement.
The tournament in Gonda is right now the focus of the stand-off between the two parties. Medal winners from the ocasion are expected to have opportunities for the World Championships trials later this year, whereas Vinesh has repeatedly claimed that WFI is attempting to block her from competing.
Vinesh said she would definitely provide a detailed reply after taking the advice of her legal team but wanted to clarify the air on some matters first. ” “The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sporting activity and subsequent return to training and competitions,” Vinesh added. I have been deemed eligible to return to official training and competition on January 1, 2026 instead of the day specified by the WFI in their notification i.e. June 26, 2026. I have received formal confirmation from the International Screening Firm (ITA) in that regard.
Vinesh also said that she plans to participate in the recurring event in Gonda despite the federation’s protest. She said that she does intend to take part in the event and commemorate my go back to the floor covering in a competitive event, having concluded my registration for the exact same.
The wrestler also had an answer to the anti-doping related concerns raised in WFI’s notice, including allegations regarding whereabouts failures and skipped tests. “Regarding whereabouts failure from September 2024 and missed examination from December 2025, I confirm that I have indeed informed the relevant authorities promptly and both events don’t constitute anti-doping policy offenses,” Vinesh said.
She also denied she had broken rules in the 2024 selection trials by competing in 2 weight classes. “The allegations that I violated different regulations by competing in 2 different weight categories in the 2024 Selection Tests at NIS Patiala are also false,” she said.
WHAT IS VINESH PHOGAT-WFI ROW?
The latest controversy began when WFI ruled Vinesh ineligible for domestic tournaments until June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month notice period associated with proffessional athletes returning from retired life under anti-doping norms.
The federation said Vinesh had officially notified the International Testing Agency of her retirement following the 2024 Paris Olympics, when she was disqualified ahead of the women’s 50kg gold medal match.
WFI had also issued a strongly-worded showcause letter alleging the wrestler of indiscipline, procedural irregularities and breaking federation norms.
However Vinesh really asserted that she subsequently informed United Globe Battling of her plan to return to competitors and hence went through the necessary process to renew competing.
Meanwhile, the federation is said to be less than happy with her first response and believes she has just addressed the qualifying issue and not fully addressed the wider disciplinary allegations.
VINESH PHOGAT ON WFI WHAT
Vinesh said in her statement that she is still eligible to compete and would keep working on her preparation for future contests, including the 2026 Asian Games cycle. Other than that, I am assessing the contents of the notice and will provide a detailed comment with supporting evidence to the WFI within the stipulated time period,” she said. I will prove my innocence and will definitely continue my prep work as I approach my comeback to competition and I look forward to the possibility of representing India in the 2026 Asian Games and other global events.”
The weigh-ins for the women’s wrestlers are scheduled between 5 pm and 7 pm on Monday in Gonda, with the tournament kicking off on Tuesday.
