The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Wednesday dashed Vinesh Phogat’s hopes of taking part in the Asian Games 2026. The three-time Olympian has been ruled ineligible following the criteria announced by the WFI.
As per the federation, eligibility for the wrestling trials is restricted to medal winners from three domestic events, the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championships, the 2026 Senior Federation Cup and the Under-20 National Wrestling Championships.
The senior nationals were held in December while the Federation Cup took place in February.
Vinesh Phogat has not competed in any of these tournaments, having been away from competition since the Paris 2024 Olympics and therefore does not meet the eligibility requirements.
She had retired from wrestling immediately after the Summer Games but in December last year, Vinesh announced that she was returning to the sport. Her time away from the mat also included a personal milestone, as she became a mother in July last year.
The 31-year-old Indian wrestler had recently set the National Open Ranking Tournament in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled from May 10 to 12, as her return event. As per the WFI, results at the National Open Ranking Tournament will not be considered for eligibility at the selection trials.
The WFI has scheduled the Asian Games selection trials across two days later this month. Women’s wrestling selection trials will be held on May 30 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, while men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions are set for May 31 at the Regional Centre in Lucknow.
The trials will be conducted across all 18 Olympic weight categories, with six divisions in each of the three disciplines. The WFI has also clarified that past performances will not be considered in the selection process, placing sole emphasis on results at the trials.
The Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
