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In her detailed statement, Vinesh confirmed receipt of the notice dated 09.05.2026 and said she will respond formally after consulting her legal team. However, she also addressed the matter publicly, saying there has been a misunderstanding regarding her comeback timeline.
She stated that, “The WFI has misinterpreted the timelines of my sabbatical from sport and subsequent return to training and competitions.” She further clarified that, contrary to the federation’s claim that she would only be eligible from June 26, 2026, “I have been deemed eligible to return to official training and competition on January 1, 2026.”
Vinesh added that she has “official confirmation from the International Testing Agency (ITA)” and is therefore eligible to compete in the ongoing 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda. She confirmed, “I do intend to participate in the Tournament and mark my return to the mat in a competitive event.”
Addressing anti-doping related allegations, she said that the whereabouts failure and missed test cited by WFI do not amount to violations, stating they “do not amount to anti-doping rule violations per the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021 or the WADA Code, 2021.”
