Vinesh Phogat received a comprehensive show-cause notice from the Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday, accusing her of indiscipline and violating anti-doping rules. She was also declared ineligible to compete in domestic events until June 26, 2026, due to her failure to fulfill the six-month notice period mandated by UWW Anti-Doping Rules for athletes returning from retirement.
The two-time World Championship medallist, who quit the sport in 2024 after being disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games, will have to wait for her comeback as she was attending the National Open Ranking event in Gonda, which begins on Sunday.
The WFI claimed in the 15-page notice that Vinesh’s actions had breached anti-doping rules, the UWW International Wrestling Rules, and the WFI Constitution in addition to causing “lasting damage to the reputation of Indian wrestling” in Paris.
Her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Games due to her failure to make weight, alleged whereabouts violations under anti-doping regulations, and competing in two weight categories during the March 2024 selection trials held by the then-IOA-appointed ad hoc panel are just a few of the charges for which the federation has asked her to provide an explanation.
She is not permitted to compete in any domestic tournament until June 26 of this year, including the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, according to the federation.
“The Federation must satisfy itself that you have not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation that would render you ineligible to represent the Federation in any forthcoming competition,” the notice stated.
A correspondence from the International Testing Agency (ITA), working on behalf of UWW, on May 4, 2026, documenting a “missed Test” against Vinesh in connection with a failed doping control effort on December 18, 2025, was also mentioned in the notification.
The WFI declared that Vinesh is still ineligible to compete until June 26, 2026, and hence cannot take part in any domestic tournament prior to that date, citing Article 5.7 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules concerning reentry from retirement.
The federation made it clear that she is unable to participate in the Senior Open Ranking Tournament, which is set for May 10–12 in Nandini Nagar, Gonda.
The federation stated that she has not complied with the requirement that any athlete wishing to resume competition after retirement contact UWW at least six months in advance and be available for testing during that time.
According to the WFI, Vinesh announced herself to be on a “sabbatical until August 2025” in an email to UWW Anti-Doping on December 14, 2024, and stated that she would only return to compliance with whereabouts responsibilities after that.
The federation asserted, however, that her subsequent correspondence, dated December 12, 2025, to the Sports Authority of India, WFI, and TOPS-SAI, stating her intention to resume training and aim for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, amounted to a return announcement that did not meet the required six-month notice requirement under Article 5.7 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules.
The federation said that on December 18, 2025, just six days after that correspondence, doping control authorities were unable to find her for testing; as a result, the ITA officially recorded a missed test against her.
The WFI also mentioned a prior whereabouts failure warning that NADA had issued on September 25, 2024, following an alleged failure by a dope control officer to find her at her Sonipat declared residence for an out-of-competition test earlier that month.
The federation stated that WFI feels there is a wider pattern of non-compliance, despite the ITA treating the December 18, 2025 incident as the “first” whereabouts failing within the relevant 12-month period.
Vinesh’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics, where she advanced to the women’s 50kg final following an incredible first-round victory over Japanese icon Yui Susaki, took up a significant portion of the notice.
After weighing 100 grams over than allowed prior to the gold medal match versus American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt, Vinesh was subsequently disqualified.
The WFI claimed that although she was given the entire 15-minute timeframe and several chances, she missed the second required weigh-in the following morning after passing the first one on August 6, 2024, at 49.9 kg.
According to the federation, the incident caused India to lose a “certain Olympic medal” and generated a lot of bad press.
WFI has previously disciplined several wrestlers for infractions related to weight management.
In October 2025, Olympic bronze winner Aman Sehrawat received a one-year suspension from WFI for failing to make weight at the World Championships, where he surpassed the weight limit by 1.7 kg. Similarly, wrestler Neha Sangwan received a two-year suspension.
Additionally, Vinesh was requested to provide an explanation for her behavior during the Asian Olympic Qualifiers selection trials on March 11, 2024, in NIS Patiala, when she competed in the 50kg and 53kg divisions in violation of UWW regulations.
At the time, an ad hoc committee created by the IOA was in charge of overseeing wrestling in India after WFI operations were suspended.
Article 7 of the UWW International Wrestling Rules, according to the federation, expressly allows a wrestler to compete in just one weight category that corresponds to the athlete’s weight at the official weigh-in.
“Each contestant deemed to be taking part of his/her own free will, and responsible for himself/herself, shall be allowed to compete in only one weight category,” the notice quoted from the UWW rules.
The federation cited concerns that were received during the trials, including claims that Vinesh had postponed the commencement of competition by requesting a formal guarantee that she would have another trial in the 53 kg category prior to the Olympics in Paris.
During those trials, Vinesh defeated Shivani in the 50kg trial but lost to Anju in the 53kg division due to technical superiority.
According to the WFI, complaints it received claimed that the delay negatively impacted other wrestlers and disrupted the way trials were conducted.
Vinesh has been requested by the federation to provide an explanation for why she should not face disciplinary action under the WFI Constitution’s several clauses pertaining to indiscipline, unsportsmanlike behavior, and conduct detrimental to the federation’s and the sport’s interests.
Vinesh has 14 days to reply to the notification.
