GONDA: In intensely hot and oppressive Gonda, at the Nandini Nagar Mahavidyalaya where wrestling mats have replaced school desks, hundreds of athletes wait endlessly for their bouts. In that wait, one name has dominated every conversation — Vinesh Phogat.The Katha Vachak central hall at the university complex in Nawabganj has turned into one giant wrestling arena for the senior open ranking series tournament. Though the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) never formally announced it, TOI has learnt that the event effectively became a qualification pathway to the national camp and, eventually, the selection trials for the Senior World Championships in Manama, Bahrain later this year.
For Vinesh, competing in Gonda was more than just a comeback. Reversing her retire-ment decision after the birth of her first child, this was her route back to elite wrestling. Instead, the three-time Olympian once again found herself at the centre of a bitter bout with the federation.As matches ran several hours behind schedule amid repeated power cuts in the intense humidity, women wrestlers from across the country waited inside the competition hall as discussions around Vinesh’s exclusion grew louder. The noise made one turn the gaze outwards too.The sprawling Mahavidyalaya campus, located near Ayodhya, carried unmistakable reminders of the man whose shadow continues to loom large over Indian wrestling. Though the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh remained absent from the venue, he was reportedly in constant touch with federation officials while appearing in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, including Vinesh herself.Against this backdrop then, a debate over Vinesh’s return raged in the heat of the competition arena. Some saw her exclusion as unfair treatment of one of the country’s finest athletes and a wrong message for women. Others insisted the federation was merely enforcing rules equally.Among the strongest voices backing Vinesh was fellow Olympian Sakshi Malik, who had stood alongside her during the wrestlers’ protest movement at Jantar Mantar in 2023. The Rio Olympics bronze medallist said Vinesh’s return after becoming a mother should have been celebrated rather than obstructed. In a social media post, Sakshi publicly urged the Prime Minister to intervene.“I can give many examples where sports federations in other countries make rules easier for their athletes,” Sak-shi said in the video shared on social media. “Our federation implements such rules just days before so that Vinesh cannot stage a comeback. We should set an example that women can return after motherhood and still win medals for the country.”Sangeeta Chhikara, who was expected to face Vinesh in the 57kg category, admitted she had eagerly awaited the contest. “I have wrestled Vinesh twice and she defeated me both times. She is a legend of Indian wrestling,” said Sangeeta, “I’ve learnt so much competing against her.”The Haryana wrestler, a World Police Games gold medallist and currently posted as a head constable in Meerut, said she was disappointed that the clash never materialised. “If we had wrestled here, it would have been a great contest,” she said, Delhi wrestler Shruti, 20, a junior World Championships bronze medallist in the 50kg category, also supported Vinesh’s return. “She is making a comeback as a mother and deserves every opportunity,” Shruti said.Having grown up idolising Vinesh, Shruti felt the federation should have shown greater sensitivity toward one of India’s most accomplished wrestlers. “She has done so much for the nation. She deserves at least this much respect,” she added.Yet not all wrestlers agreed. Pooja, a wrestler from Haryana’s Balali village, revealed she once trained alongside Geeta, Babita and Vinesh at Mahavir Phogat’s akhada and even referred to Vinesh as “bua” (paternal aunt). But she insisted personal relationships could not override regulations. “I believe rules should be the same for everyone,” she said. “I have heard she did not fulfil the six-month return-to-competition requirement and also failed the whereabouts criteria.”According to Pooja, wrestlers returning from retirement are required to give six months’ notice and remain available for testing. Another established Haryana wrestler, Nishu (53kg), also opposed Vinesh’s participation. “The federation did the right thing in stopping her for now.”
