Ayodhya: Celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in Ayodhya on Monday to formally respond to a show-cause notice issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), setting the stage for a high-stakes administrative showdown. While Phogat maintains that she is eligible to return to competitive wrestling from her recent retirement, the federation has remained steadfast in its decision to bar her from the ongoing National Open Ranking tournament. The WFI insists that the athlete cannot participate in domestic events until June 26, citing a mandatory six-month notice period required under anti-doping regulations for athletes seeking to resume competition after a period of retirement.
In her official reply delivered immediately after landing, Phogat argued that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code concerning retired athletes does not apply to her current circumstances. She asserted that she had already informed United World Wrestling (UWW) of her intention to return to the mat as early as June, thereby fulfilling the procedural obligations stipulated by the world governing body. According to UWW regulations, any wrestler returning from retirement must provide at least six months of notice while remaining available for drug testing. Phogat’s position rests on the claim that her prior communication with the international body satisfies the necessary requirements to compete.
However, sources within the WFI indicated that the federation found Phogat’s response insufficient. Officials noted that the wrestler’s reply focused primarily on the technical eligibility issue while failing to address the wider array of disciplinary charges detailed in the notice issued this past Saturday. These charges encompass several controversies, including her disqualification from the 50kg gold medal bout at the 2024 Paris Olympics for failing to make weight, alleged whereabouts failures regarding anti-doping protocols, and her decision to compete in two different weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials. Federation officials stated that until a comprehensive disciplinary hearing is conducted to resolve these broader issues, she will not be permitted to take the mat.
The dispute is further complicated by conflicting interpretations of Phogat’s retirement status following the emotional fallout of the Paris Games. While her husband, Sombir Rathi, has argued that her retirement was never made official through formal channels and was merely expressed on social media, the WFI cited a December 2024 communication from UWW acknowledging her retirement notification to the International Testing Agency. The federation also dismissed claims that it had specifically altered selection criteria to exclude her, describing such accusations as a “wrong narrative.” With weigh-ins scheduled for Monday evening and the competition set for Tuesday, Phogat’s immediate participation remains caught in a complex web of procedural mandates and disciplinary reviews.
