Vinesh Phogat row: WFI not to challenge ruling but Asian Games berth remains uncertain for veteran

NEW DELHI: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will not challenge the HC’s Saturday order and will allow the two-time World Championships medallist and three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat to participate in the trials at the KD Jadhav indoor hall of the IG stadium.

The federation, however, is unlikely to alter its existing selection policy, maintaining that doing so could “adversely affect the morale of other wrestlers”.





However, even if she goes on to win the trials, Vinesh’s road to representing India at the continental event in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya is not guaranteed because her name is not there in the official ‘long list’ already submitted to the organisers by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

For participation in any major multisport event such as the Olympics, CWG or Asian Games, national federations are required to first submit a long list of athletes to the IOA, which is then forwarded to organisers. Sources said the IOA has already shared the list with Asiad organisers on May 15 and Vinesh’s name was not included by the WFI.

Under international regulations, athletes can only be added later under the ‘Late Athlete Replacement (LAR)’ provision. Even then, replacements are generally drawn from the existing long list.

The process would also require approval from the sport's global governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), which may not automatically accept a late entry based solely on an Indian court ruling, since the International Federations (IFs) are governed by their own statutes and Olympic Charter.

Significantly, UWW has already backed the WFI in its ongoing dispute with Vinesh and reportedly informed the federation that it is within its rights to initiate disciplinary proceedings and take action after reviewing her response to a show-cause notice.

TOI has also learnt that Vinesh has again changed her weight category. After initially registering in the women’s 57kg division for the senior open ranking series event in Gonda following her return from retirement, she approached the court seeking permission to compete in the women’s 53kg category, her original weight class before the Paris Olympics cycle.

Awaiting her in the 53kg trials are leading wrestlers Antim Panghal, Nishu Bhanwala and Meenakshi Goyat, all of whom are already part of the official long list submitted to organisers. Meenakshi recently won silver at the Asian Championships after defeating Antim in the selection trials.

Sources said there is also a possibility that the women’s 53kg category could go unrepresented at the Asiad, even if Vinesh wins the trials but her name is ultimately not accepted by organisers, while the wrestlers (Antim, Nishu and Meenakshi) already included in the long list are not sent.

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