Vinesh Phogat set for 57kg comeback, fifth weight switch of career

NEW DELHI: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat is set for another weight-category change — the fifth switch of her career — as she prepares for a competitive comeback in the 57kg division at the 2026 Senior Open Ranking tournament in Gonda, UP, from May 10-12.

The tournament is likely to mark her first competitive appearance in 20 months, following her shock retirement announcement after she was disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics final for being 100g overweight. Vinesh reversed her retirement decision in Dec 2025.The three-day event is a crucial route for wrestlers looking to enter the national camp and stay in contention for the upcoming Asian Games selection trials.Her move to 57kg is a significant jump, 4kg above her long-time 53kg division and 7kg above the category she wrestled in at Paris. Across her career, Vinesh has shifted weight classes repeatedly because of injuries, changes in categories and stiff domestic competition.Registration confirmed for ranking tournamentAfter alleging that she was being blocked from competing at the Gonda meet by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Vinesh on Tuesday confirmed that she had successfully registered for the tournament.“My registration was done this morning. I could not complete the registration yesterday as the link was closed. I’m looking forward to competing in my first competition after 20 months,” Vinesh said.