Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat has confirmed her participation in the upcoming national ranking tournament in Gonda, putting to rest speculation about her entry after alleging she was being prevented from competing by the Wrestling Federation of India.
The clarification came on Tuesday after confusion surrounding her delayed registration. According to the federation, the issue was not specific to Phogat, stating that multiple wrestlers faced technical difficulties due to problems with the online registration portal. These issues reportedly hindered timely submissions before being resolved.
Phogat, however, took to social media to confirm that she had successfully completed her registration and expressed gratitude for the support she received during the uncertainty. “My registration to participate in the upcoming ranking tournament was done this morning. I could not complete the registration yesterday as the link was closed. Thank you for the support from everyone. I am looking forward to competing in my first competition after 20 months,” she wrote.
In contrast, information shared by WFI indicated that her registration had been processed at 10:29 pm on Monday night, adding a layer of discrepancy to the timeline of events.
The tournament, scheduled from May 10 to 12 in Gonda, will mark Phogat’s return to competitive wrestling after a long absence. She is set to compete in the 57kg category, a significant moment in her career following a turbulent phase over the past two years.
Her last appearance ended in disappointment at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified for being overweight. Following that setback, Phogat had initially announced her retirement from the sport, only to later reverse her decision.
Since then, her life has seen major personal and professional changes. She became a mother and also entered politics, winning a seat as a Member of the Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket during the Haryana assembly elections in October 2024.
Now, with her return confirmed, Phogat has her sights set on upcoming international events, including the Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics. Her participation in Gonda will be closely watched as she begins a fresh chapter in her wrestling journey.
