Vinesh Phogat vs WFI: Asian Games 2026 Dreams in Trouble After Wrestling Federation Changes Selection Rules

Vinesh Phogat vs WFI: Vinesh Phogat’s worst fears seem to have come true. The renowned wrestler’s return attempt was severely damaged on Wednesday when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) rejected her plans to compete at the Asian Games amid an ongoing, acrimonious dispute. Phogat will compete in the National Open Ranking competition next week for the first time in almost 20 months, but according to WFI, it is not an event that qualifies for Asian Games selection. Phogat was hoping to make her professional wrestling comeback through the National Open Ranking Tournament 2026, which is set for May 10–12 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. 

Why Vinesh Phogat could be ruled out of Asian Games?

In order to prevent wrestler Vinesh Phogat from competing, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has established new eligibility requirements for the selection trials in advance of the forthcoming Asian Games. Only medal winners from important domestic championships in 2025 and 2026 will be able to take part in the Asian Games selection trials under the new regulations. Phogat is no longer eligible under the revised standards because she hasn’t participated in any professional competitions since being disqualified at the 2024 Summer Olympics. 

Vinesh Phogat faces eligibility issues for Asian Games selection trials

Phogat was hoping to make her professional wrestling comeback through the National Open Ranking Tournament 2026, which is set for May 10–12 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. It will be her first time competing since the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight and did not win a medal. After the heartbreak, Phogat first declared her retirement, but in December, she changed her mind with an eye on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In addition to being her fifth weight-class move, the competition will be her first time competing in the 57kg division, which was viewed as a critical step in qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. 

But those aspirations were dashed by a WFI circular. The governing body declared that the selection trials, which are set for May 30 in New Delhi for women and a day later in Lucknow for men, will only be open to medallists from the Federation Cup in February and the 2025 National Championships, which took place in December. The revelation was a significant blow to the 2018 Asian Games gold champion Phogat, who was on maternity leave the previous year and did not participate in either competition. 

Vinesh Phogat vs WFI and Brij Bhushan Singh

Phogat and the WFI have been engaged in a confrontation for a while. The WFI refuted the wrestler’s first allegation that the federation attempted to stop her from registering for the ranking competition in Gonda, claiming they did not want her at the Asian Games. Later, she voiced worries about potential “biased officiating” during the tournament and questioned the choice to hold it in Gonda, which is thought to be the bastion of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. “If any untoward incident happens to me, my team or supporters during the competition, the Indian government will be responsible,” she had said in a video message posted on social media on May 3. “The tournament is being organised at a place where his (Brij Bhushan) influence is strong. Who will officiate which bout, how many points will be awarded, who will sit as mat chairman — everything can be controlled by him and his people.”

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