Vinesh Accuses WFI Of Creating Hurdle In Her Comeback, Federation Responds

Vinesh accuses WFI of creating hurdle in her comeback, federation responds (Image Source: IANS)

The Senior Open Ranking Tournament: Ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat once again charged at the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), claiming that the federation is deliberately stopping her from competing in next month's National Open Ranking tournament, noting that the portal appears closed despite the April 30 deadline.

Last December, Vinesh, who announced her retirement hours after her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, reversed her decision to retire and is eyeing a comeback after nearly 20 months.

The Senior Open Ranking Tournament is scheduled to take place from May 10 to 12 at the Nandininagar Mahavidyalaya in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, and the last day of registration is set for April 30, but Vinesh alleged that she has not been able to register for the competition, as the WFI portal said the registrations are closed and WFI administrative staff are unresponsive to her calls.

"I am hoping to make a comeback at the National Open Ranking Tournament. The registration for it was open till April 30. However, when I tried to register, the portal said it's now closed. I have been trying to contact the administrative staff of the federation, but they haven’t responded to my calls,” Vinesh was quoted as saying in The Indian Express.

Earlier in February, Vinesh hit out at the Haryana Wrestling Association for what she calls "unfair" selection criteria for the Federation Cup 2026.

"I intended to compete there (Federation Cup), too, but the team selection criteria were changed at the last minute, so I couldn’t take part. It feels like this is a deliberate attempt to stop me from competing, especially since this is an important tournament to remain in contention for the Asian Games and World Championship selection trials," she added.

However, the WFI chief Sanjay Singh refuted Vinesh's claims, saying there was no attempt to stop anybody and the tournament remains open to everyone. "We received similar complaints from other wrestlers, too. They got in touch with our staff, and their issues were resolved. We are not going to stop anybody from competing, and the tournament remains open for everyone," Singh was quoted by the masthead.

"I intended to compete there (Federation Cup), too, but the team selection criteria were changed at the last minute, so I couldn’t take part. It feels like this is a deliberate attempt to stop me from competing, especially since this is an important tournament to remain in contention for the Asian Games and World Championship selection trials," she added.

However, she appealed against her Olympic disqualification with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and demanded a joint silver medal in the 50kg weight category. But, the Ad-Hoc Division of the CAS dismissed Vinesh's petition against her disqualification, shattering her dream of clinching her maiden Olympic medal.

Article Source: IANS