Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium: Vinesh Phogat’s husband and coach, Somvir Rathee, has questioned the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) intentions after the former World Championships medallist failed to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games, alleging that the federation did not want her to win during the selection trials.
Vinesh’s hopes of making the Indian team for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya ended after she suffered a narrow 4-6 defeat to Meenakshi Goyat in the women’s 53kg semifinals at the selection trials held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.
Reacting to the setback, Rathee said the family felt let down by the manner in which events unfolded and claimed the federation's actions throughout the process had worked against Vinesh.
“We felt cheated. We challenged many of the decisions, but it appeared that the federation did not want Vinesh to win. The court battle and the entire situation involving the WFI have been mentally exhausting. But Vinesh is resilient—she will return to training, make a strong comeback, and let her performances do the talking,” Somvir Rathee, Vinesh’s husband and coach, told IANS.
His remarks came shortly after Vinesh herself criticised the federation, alleging that WFI officials celebrated her defeat and claiming that sections within the organisation wanted her “to die quickly”.
“WFI officials were cheering when I lost. Let them celebrate for now. I’m incredibly stubborn and driven, and setbacks only fuel my determination. I’ll make a comeback, and when I do, I’ll silence every doubter with my performance. Right now, the federation wants me to die quickly — that’s what they think,” Phogat told IANS after failing to qualify for the Asian Games.
Vinesh's participation in the trials had remained uncertain until the final hours. The WFI had initially restricted her to the 50kg category, a decision she challenged. Following intervention by the Supreme Court and discussions within the federation, she was eventually allowed to compete in her preferred 53kg division.
“WFI officials were cheering when I lost. Let them celebrate for now. I’m incredibly stubborn and driven, and setbacks only fuel my determination. I’ll make a comeback, and when I do, I’ll silence every doubter with my performance. Right now, the federation wants me to die quickly — that’s what they think,” Phogat told IANS after failing to qualify for the Asian Games.
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However, Meenakshi Goyat produced a determined performance in the semifinals to secure a 6-4 victory and end Vinesh’s hopes of qualifying for the Asian Games later this year.