Vinesh Phogat Faces Another Race To Cut Weight, WFI Permits Only 50kg Entry: Report

Last Updated:May 29, 2026, 22:45 IST

Wrestling Federation of India limits Vinesh Phogat to 50kg Asian Games trials after court nod, late communication leaves her racing to cut weight.

The Wrestling Federation of India has said that Vinesh Phogat will only be able to take part in the 50kg trials for the Asian Games, less than 12 hours before the event is set to start, according to a report in PTI.

As per the report, officials from the Wrestling Federation of India waited for confirmation regarding Vinesh’s preferred weight category after the Supreme Court of India cleared the way for her participation in Saturday’s trials, but hadn’t received any communication from her camp until late Friday evening.

Since Vinesh has competed in the 50kg category in her most recent international events, including the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India has decided to consider her only for that weight division.

“It is important for the chief coach and the technical officials to know which wrestler is competing in which weight category. We waited till late evening, but no email, message or any formal intimation was received from Vinesh’s side," a federation source said while speaking to PTI.

As per the report, Vinesh has been preparing to compete in the 53kg category and has been training at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex in New Delhi, which is also set to host the selection trials.

A senior WFI official said that the federation would honour the court’s directions but would hold the trials under its own regulations.

“Honouring the court orders, we will allow Vinesh to compete. But only WFI rules will apply during the competition. We have no objection if observers from the Indian Olympic Association and the Sports Ministry are present," the official said.

The federation will permit a one-kilogram weight tolerance for all wrestlers taking part in the championship.

That means Vinesh will have to at least reduce her weight to 51kg if she is to compete in the 50kg division.

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