Sanjay Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India, defended the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games amid Vinesh Phogat’s allegations of unfairness.
Sanjay Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), affirmed the fairness of the Asian Games 2026 selection trials following Vinesh Phogat’s loss in the women’s 53kg semi-final at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. After losing against Meenakshi 4-6, Phogat’s ambition to represent India at the Asian Games was dashed. She had previously defeated Jyoti 7-1 and Nishu in her second fight to make it into the semis. However, her winning road came to an end in the semi-finals.
Vinesh Phogat Alleges Unfair Trial
Vinesh Phogat questioned the fairness of the 2026 Asian Games selection trials and even claimed that everyone could see the problems, including the media, and implied that some athletes were being disadvantaged by the system.
“Hum toh bahut dinon se lad rahe hain. Aaj mat ke upar kam se kam mat pe ladne ka toh mauka mila. Toh lad rahe the ek-ek point ke liye. Poora system ek side khada tha—referee, judge sab kuch. Koi fairness nahi tha yahan pe match mein. Aur jo wahi, mere jaise jo bhi bachche aawaz utha rahe hain, toh unke saath mein system aise hi karta hai. (The entire system was standing against us on one side—the referee, the judges, everyone. There was no fairness in the match here. And the system treats children like me who raise their voices in this exact same manner),” said Vinesh while talking to the reporters after her semi-final match.
Sanjay Singh On Vinesh Phogat’s Allegation
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh defended the fairness of 2026 Asian Games selection trials. He further stated that transparency was reinforced by the presence of observers from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during the trials.