NANDINI NAGAR (GONDA): With Vinesh Phogat not allowed to compete in the 57kg weight category of the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament currently in progress at Nandini Nagar, Gonda (Uttar Pradesh), the division wore a completely different look when the draws were determined on Tuesday. International medallists, who were registered in the category earlier, went missing but the group saw a considerable rise in the number of entries on the day of competition.
The bouts in the women's category started in the afternoon but Vinesh's absence has shifted focus from the 57kg weight category, where she was supposed to compete. A few big names like Manisha, Neha and Tapsya, who had registered for the tournament in the 57kg. withdrew from the event. The number of wrestlers in the division were 10 including Vinesh, however, it has now risen to 14 even as only four previously registered wrestlers decided to compete while five decided to step away.
Notably, Manisha recently won the gold medal in the 57kg weight category at the Zagreb Open in February this year. Neha, meanwhile, bagged a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Championships in 59kg. She won quite a few international medals last year including a gold medal each at the Yasar Dogu, Vehbi Emre and Hamit Kaplan Tournament and Mongolia Open Ranking Series. Besides, she clinched a gold and a bronze medal at the U17 World Championships and U20 World Championships respectively in 2024.
Like Neha, Tapsya also clinched a gold medal at the U20 World Championships last year. She was also the champion in the 57kg weight category at the U20 Asian Championships. "Tapsya appeared in her BA final year examination today. Besides, she also has to compete at the U23 Asian Championships later this month, so we decided to withdraw her entry from the ranking series," Parmesh Ahlawat, Tapsya's father told this daily.
"She is already in the national camp and now the target is the upcoming Asian Games. After the examinations, she will return to the camp and continue her training," added the father. Similarly, Manisha is also in the national camp. "She registered for the event but decided to withdraw as she is focussed on the Asian Games. The selection trials for the same are scheduled later this month so it's better not to compete in back-to-back competitions," said a relative of Manisha.
Meanwhile, a woman wrestler, who is competing in the 57kg weight category, said there were mixed emotions in the camp when they came to know that Vinesh would not be competing at the event. "A few wanted to wrestle against her. It was a lifetime opportunity for them but now they are disappointed. Similarly, a few others are happy as Vinesh's absence has increased the probability of them finishing on the podium," said the wrestler.
Wrestlers might have their reasons for participating or not competing but Vinesh's absence has certainly taken the sheen off the competition, which gained prominence the moment the two-time World Championships bronze medallist registered for the tournament.