Vinesh Phogat on Monday strongly defended her eligibility to return to competitive wrestling after being barred by the Wrestling Federation of India, asserting that both the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency had already cleared her to resume competition from January 1, 2026.
The controversy erupted after the WFI declared the former World Championships medallist ineligible to compete in domestic tournaments under WADA Rule 5.6.1, which governs the return of retired athletes to professional competition. According to the federation, Vinesh will remain ineligible for domestic events until June 26, 2026.
Despite the restriction, Vinesh arrived at the National Open Ranking Tournament venue in Gonda and met WFI president Sanjay Singh to discuss the issue directly with federation officials.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the wrestler denied committing any anti-doping violation and clarified that the issue was related only to a missed “whereabouts” filing — a system under which athletes are required to regularly update their location for out-of-competition testing.
“If I had violated any anti-doping rule, then NADA India or WADA would have issued me a show-cause notice or banned me,” Vinesh said.
She explained that the missed filing happened during a difficult personal phase when she had recently become a mother and was also attending an assembly session. According to Vinesh, she later apologised to WADA and received official clearance to return to the sport.
“I had missed one whereabouts filing. There are three allowed. I informed them about the situation and apologised. They gave me a clean chit and said I could participate in international events,” she added.
Questioning the WFI’s position, Vinesh said it was difficult to understand why the federation was refusing to accept a decision already cleared by international authorities.
“If I am eligible to participate internationally, then why is the federation not satisfied with that decision?” she asked.
Later in the day, the wrestler shared a letter from the ITA on social media, claiming it confirmed that she was permitted to resume competition from January 1, 2026. The ITA manages the anti-doping programme for United World Wrestling.
Vinesh also revealed that she had undergone two separate doping tests after receiving clearance and both results came back negative.
“Even after that, I gave my doping tests twice and came out clean. I have always competed clean in sports,” she said.
The wrestler maintained that she was only seeking a fair opportunity to compete and prove herself through performance on the mat.
“Earlier too, people used to say that I didn’t want to give trials. Even today, I am saying the same thing — let whoever is the best be decided fairly on the mat. But if I’m not even allowed to compete, then how will that happen?” she said.
Meanwhile, the WFI issued an official statement defending its handling of the matter. The federation said Vinesh was provided complete security and support during her visit to the venue and was informed about her ineligibility according to existing rules and procedures.
“WFI treats every player equally, and player welfare and security remain our highest priorities,” the federation said in its statement.
The ongoing dispute has once again brought Vinesh Phogat and the WFI into public focus, nearly two years after the wrestler became one of the leading faces of protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.