Vinesh Phogat's Gonda Entry Eligibility Uncertain

Vinesh Phogat, the former world championships medalist, faces uncertainty over her eligibility to compete in the National Open Ranking Tournament set for May 10 to 12 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, due to questions about her compliance with World Anti-Doping Agency rules for athletes returning from retirement. The Wrestling Federation of India has also ruled out performances from that event as a pathway to the 2026 Asian Games trials.

Phogat retired after her disqualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics and announced her return to competition last December, entering the 57kg category for the Gonda tournament after nearly 18 months away from the mat. She had been part of the Registered Testing Pool during her career and reentered it upon resuming training. However, under WADA's Article 5.6.1, athletes in the pool who retire must provide six months' written notice to the international federation and national anti-doping body before returning to competition. Failure to do so could disqualify results from national or international events unless the athlete proves lack of knowledge about the competition's status.

WFI President Sanjay Singh stated that the federation awaits confirmation from...