CHENNAI: Around 1300 wrestlers will converge at Nandini Nagar, Gonda (Uttar Pradesh) in the next few days beginning Saturday but the name that put the event, 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament, under spotlight might be missing from the list of grapplers. It was two-time World Championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat, who made the otherwise insignificant tournament a high profile event by announcing that she will compete marking her return to competitive wrestling since the Paris Olympic heartbreak.
The 31-year-old wrestler from Haryana had registered herself in the 57kg weight category. However, after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) slapped a show-cause notice on her on Saturday, things are looking a bit more difficult for her to compete. It was on expected lines and as was reported by this daily, the WFI's show-cause notice accused Vinesh of multiple breaches. The federation also declared her ineligible to compete in domestic events until June 26, 2026 highlighting that she failed to complete the mandatory six-month notice period needed for athletes returning from retirement under the UWW Anti-Doping rules.
The notice definitely came as a shocker for Vinesh, who agonizingly failed the weight test ahead of the 50kg final bout at the Paris Games to miss out on a potential Olympic medal, but as her wont, she is expected to leave no stone unturned to make her appearance possible at the tournament.
"Vinesh is in Delhi and consulting her lawyers," a source close to the wrestler told this daily. The tournament will commence with men's freestyle wrestling on Sunday followed by men's Greco-Roman competition on Day 2. The women's event is scheduled on the last day, May 12, giving Vinesh an opportunity to knock the door of court if the need arises. "Once she understands the issue after meeting her lawyers, she can even move the court if given go ahead by her advocates," added the source.
Vinesh retired soon after after the Olympic setback and forayed into politics joining Indian National Congress. She even contested Haryana Assembly elections on Congress ticket and won the seat. She also gave birth to a child and announced her decision to return to wrestling in December last year. She apparently is not part of the Path to Asian Games as of now as well and has not been included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). It is understood that the Haryana wrestler had started her training in Bengaluru after announcing comeback.
Tussle intensifies
Given her frosty relationship with the WFI, all hell broke loose when she announced that she will compete at the ranking series. To begin with, Vinesh posted on her social media handles that she could not complete the registration process for the event as it has been closed. She later said that process had been completed but the federation refuted the charges and claimed she registered herself at night itself. The war of words only intensified since then with Vinesh raising questions over the venue chosen for the tournament. Gonda is considered a stronghold of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh against whom Vinesh and Olympic bronze medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik launched a protest accusing him of sexual misconduct.
It was followed by a whereabouts failure notice to Vinesh by the International Testing Agency. The latest in the saga is WFI's show-cause notice. The WFI through the 15-page notice gave Vinesh a 14-day period to respond to allegations. "By virtue of your registration as a wrestler with WFI and your participation under the Indian flag in international competitions, including the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad held at Paris in 2024, you are subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of WFI and are bound by the rules and regulations framed by WFI and UWW from time to time," read the notice.
"The WFI has reasons to believe that you have committed acts and omissions which are seriously prejudicial to the discipline, image, reputation, and interests of WFI, the Indian wrestling fraternity and the nation and which constitute violations of the WFI Constitution, the UWW International Wrestling Rules and the National Anti-Doping rules," it added.
As was reported by this daily, the WFI wants Vinesh's explanations on four major charges, including her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics for failing to make weight. She has also been asked to explain her alleged failures to account for her whereabouts under anti-doping rules, and how and why she competed in two weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials conducted by the then ad-hoc panel appointed by the Indian Olympic Association.
"Pending submission and consideration of your reply, on the basis of your letter/email dated December 12 2025, your minimum requirement of six months period has not expired and as a consequence, you shall not be eligible to participate in any WFI competitions and events until June 26, including your ineligibility to participate in the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda and any other forthcoming national, ranking, selection and international competitions in the wider interest of the sport and the Federation." the notice added.
"Please take notice that should you fail to submit your written reply in the stipulated period of fourteen days or fail to avail the opportunity of personal hearing if and when offered, the federation shall be constrained to proceed ex-parte and pass such order as it may deem fit and proper on the basis of material on record," added the notice.