Vinesh Phogat arrives in Gonda amid WFI row, says she is eligible to compete

Vinesh Phogat on Monday responded to the show-cause notice issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) about her participation, saying that she had already informed United World Wrestling (UWW) about her decision to unretire and that the WFI has no right to stop her from taking part in competitions.

WFI not satisfied with Vinesh Phogat's response

The WFI had said that Vinesh is ineligible to compete in domestic competitions until June 26 of this year, noting the compulsory six-month notice period under anti-doping rules for athletes coming out of retirement.

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Following arriving in Ayodhya, Vinesh Phogat replied to the show-cause notice from the WFI, saying that rule 5.6.1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code concerning retired athletes is not applicable on her case, as she had already informed UWW in June about her decision to unretire.

As per the rules of UWW, an athlete who is intending to come back from retirement must inform the governing body at least six months before resuming competition and stay available for anti-doping testing during that timeline.

In response, Vinesh argued that her formal communication to UWW about her comeback met all the procedural requirements for her comeback to competition.

WFI's stance on Vinesh Phogat's response

According to PTI, the WFI was not convinced by Vinesh's response, sating that she had addressed only the problem of eligibility while not answering the wider disciplinary allegations outlined in the notice sent on Saturday, May 9.

“The reply isn’t enough. She hasn’t answered the full show-cause notice. Until a disciplinary hearing is conducted and the matter is decided, she can’t be permitted to compete," a WFI source said.

“We will not stop her from coming here, but until we have a full explanation and not just on one issue, she has to wait," the source added.

The controversy began following the WFI sent a show-cause notice to Vinesh Phogat, accusing her of indiscipline, violation of federation rules, and procedural lapses linked to anti-doping regulations.