Three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat has been ruled out of contention for the 2026 Asian Games selection trials after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced strict eligibility criteria for participation.
According to the federation, only wrestlers who won medals at the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championships, the 2026 Senior Federation Cup, or the Under-20 National Wrestling Championships will be eligible to compete in the upcoming trials for the Asian Games.
The Senior National Championships were held in December 2025, while the Federation Cup took place earlier this year in February. Since Vinesh Phogat has not participated in any of these events, she does not meet the federation’s eligibility requirements for the trials.
The 31-year-old wrestler has been away from competitive wrestling since the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, after which she announced her retirement from the sport. However, in December last year, Vinesh confirmed that she would make a comeback to wrestling.
Her break from the mat also included a major personal milestone, as she became a mother in July 2025.
Vinesh had recently identified the National Open Ranking Tournament in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled from May 10 to 12, as her comeback event. However, the WFI clarified that performances in the Open Ranking Tournament will not be considered for eligibility in the Asian Games trials.
The federation has scheduled the selection trials later this month across two venues. Women’s wrestling trials will take place on May 30 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, while men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman events are set for May 31 at the Regional Centre in Lucknow.
Trials will be conducted across all 18 Olympic weight categories, covering six divisions each in women’s wrestling, freestyle, and Greco-Roman disciplines.
The WFI has also stated that previous international achievements and past performances will not influence the selection process, with final decisions based entirely on results during the trials.
The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
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