WFI issues showcause notice to Vinesh Phogat declares her ineligible till June 26
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday issued a showcause notice to wrestler Vinesh Phogat, accusing her of indiscipline and alleged anti-doping rule violations, while also declaring her ineligible to compete in domestic tournaments till June 26, 2026.
The action effectively rules her out of participating in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, which begins on Sunday. The tournament was expected to mark her return to competitive wrestling after stepping away from the sport following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics in 2024.
In its 15-page notice, the WFI alleged that Vinesh’s conduct had caused lasting damage to the image of Indian wrestling and violated provisions under the federation’s constitution, United World Wrestling (UWW) rules and anti-doping regulations.
The federation cited multiple issues, including her disqualification from the Paris Olympics for failing to meet the weight limit, alleged whereabouts failures linked to anti-doping testing, and her participation in two weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials organised by the IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel.
According to the notice, Vinesh remains ineligible to participate in domestic competitions until June 26 under Article 5.7 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules, which governs athletes returning from retirement. The rules require athletes to notify UWW at least six months before resuming competition while remaining available for testing during that period.
The WFI claimed that Vinesh had informed UWW Anti-Doping authorities in December 2024 that she was on a “sabbatical until August 2025” and would resume whereabouts compliance later. However, her communication in December 2025 expressing interest in preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics was treated by the federation as an announcement of return that did not satisfy the mandatory six-month notice period.
The federation further referred to a communication from the International Testing Agency (ITA), acting on behalf of UWW, which recorded a “missed test” against her after doping control officials allegedly failed to locate her on December 18, 2025.
WFI also mentioned an earlier whereabouts failure notice reportedly issued by NADA in September 2024 after officials were unable to locate her for an out-of-competition test at her declared residence in Sonipat.
A major portion of the notice focused on Vinesh’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics. She had reached the women’s 50kg final after defeating Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki in a stunning opening-round upset but was later disqualified after weighing 100 grams above the permissible limit ahead of the gold medal bout against American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt.
The WFI stated that the incident led to India losing a potential Olympic medal and generated negative publicity for the sport.
The federation has now sought a formal explanation from Vinesh regarding the allegations mentioned in the showcause notice.
