Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Gets Notice From National Anti-Doping Agency Due To THIS Reason

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat is set to make a comeback in competition at a Budapest event later this week ahead of wrestling trials on July 22 and 23.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat. (Photo: ANI)

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was one of the faces of wrestling protest in the Capital against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, has been issued a notice by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for ‘whereabouts’ failure, according to a newspaper report. Vinesh, who will be returning to competitive wrestling at the Budapest Ranking Series 2023 starting from Thursday. The event in Hungary will conclude in four days on July 16.

According to the ‘The Tribune’ newspaper, a dope control officer (DCO) visited the address in Partap Colony in Sonipat on June 27 and Vinesh was nowhere to be found and unavailable over phone. “The DCO spent over 40 minutes trying to reach her and also called her husband Somvir Rathee but there was no response from his side as well,” the Tribune report stated.

NADA’s project officer Ankush Gupta has asked Vinesh to respond to her ‘failure to comply with the whereabouts requirements of the ADR’. Athletes who are part of the registered testing pool (RTP) have to use the Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS) to update their whereabouts information every three months. They must include their address, email address, phone number, work schedule, training venues and schedule. Vinesh has been a part of the RTP since December 2022.

“Vinesh has 14 days to respond to this notice. However, Vinesh has little to worry about as this is the first time in 12 months that she has had a whereabouts failure. Three whereabouts failures in the space of 12 months are considered anti-doping rule violation, which could lead to a two-year suspension,” the report added.

Wrestling trials for Asian Games 2023 on July 22 and 23

The India Olympics Association (IOA) ad-hoc committee on Wednesday decided to hold much-awaited Asian Games 2023 wrestling trials on July 22 and 23 and though the panel has not revealed the format and criteria, it may exempt current Olympic and world medallists from the selection competition which will hand direct entries to Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Ravi Dahiya.

After IOA’s request for deadline extension beyond July 22 was shot down by the OCA, the ad-hoc panel met in New Delhi and decided that men’s Greco Roman and women’s trials will be held on July 22 and the selection of the men’s free style team will be done the next day.

Trials in 18 Olympic weight categories – six each in three formats (free style and Greco Roman for men and free style for women) – have to be conducted by the ad-hoc committee, which is managing the day-to-day affairs of WFI. “We have decided to conduct the trials on July 22 and 23 at the Kedar Jadhav hall in IG Stadium. First we will invite the Greco Roman and women's wrestlers and then the men’s free style wrestlers,” ad-hoc panel head Bhupender Singh Bajwa told PTI news agency.

“We also want our U-20 wrestlers to compete in the Asian Games trials. They will return to India on July 21 and hence we want to give them a chance to make a case for themselves. I will share the criteria with you all tomorrow. We are still undecided on that,” Bajwa added.

While Asian Games will have competition in six weight categories in each style, World Championship has as many as 10 categories. Trials in the remaining four categories will held later as the last date for sending entries is August 16.

(with PTI inputs)