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Veteran Indian wrestler and three-time Olympian, Vinesh Phogat, alleged that the Asian Games 2026 trials were not conducted fairly, after she lost in the semi-final of the women's 53kg category selection trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Saturday.
Vinesh's 4-6 loss against Meenakshi Goyat ended her hopes of competing at the Asian Games. Speaking to ANI after her semifinal defeat, Vinesh questioned the fairness of the trials and said the issues were visible to everyone, including the media, and suggested that the system was working against certain athletes. Phogat stated that, despite the challenges, she and others would continue to stand up and fight against the "entire system". "I don't need to say anything. Everyone saw how fairly things happened... the whole country knows, and it's been going on for a long time; everyone can see it. The entire media was watching. There were problems from morning till evening, ... there was a fight going on over every point. The entire system is standing on one side, and we are all standing on the other side, but we can proudly say that we are standing tall against them and will continue to fight," Vinesh said. Speaking about her loss, Phogat said she gave her absolute best in the trials. While acknowledging that she may need to work harder, Phogat said that she hopes her journey will inspire her son and serve as a motivation. "I did my best. I gave my 100%. I believe that I should not leave the mat wishing I could have done more. I gave every ounce of my body's energy. I think I was short on hard work, but I will work harder. But I am happy that when my son grows up, he will see me and think his mother was training on the wrestling mat when he was 10 months old. I want to be a motivation for my son," she said. Notably, Vinesh's trials came after a prolonged legal battle between her and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over the selection policy for the Asian Games 2026. Phogat weighed in at 53.9 kg and was placed in the 53kg draw, where she was set to face wrestlers including Meenakshi Goyat and Antim Panghal, with the winner earning a spot at the continental event. But she lost to Meenakshi in the semifinals. The trials were conducted under strict supervision, with observers from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) present, along with video recording as directed by the Delhi High Court to ensure transparency. The court had allowed Phogat's participation after she challenged WFI's selection policy, which restricted eligibility to medal winners from specified domestic events, arguing it was discriminatory due to her maternity-related break. The matter also reached the Supreme Court of India, which granted her interim relief to compete while hearing WFI's challenge, though it also cautioned against excessive judicial interference in sports administration and emphasised that national sporting schedules should not be disrupted. (ANI)
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