Vinesh Phogat’s hopes of making India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games ended on Saturday after she lost 6-4 to Asian bronze medalist Meenakshi Goyat in the semi-finals of the women’s 53kg selection trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.The defeat ended Fenech’s career after an eventful day in which she first received permission to compete in the 53kg category and then made her way to the semi-finals.
Vignesh started their campaign with a 7-1 win over Jyoti Haryana. She then narrowly defeated Nisho in the quarterfinals to book her place in the semifinals.The match against Nesho saw Fenech come back after trailing 0-5 in the opening period.
Nesho nearly pinned the former world championship medalist after performing a four-point shot, but Fenech was able to escape.The competition was stopped several times due to challenges and technical problems in the display screens, which led to long breaks. Nesho controlled large parts of the match with an effective half-header, but Fenech turned the match around in the second half with a four-point shot.
Vignesh then attempted to pin Nishu, prompting her husband and coach Sumpir Rathi, along with her supporters, to demand a fixed decision. The challenge was eventually taken. Officials ruled that the referee blew an “incorrect whistle,” but Fenech did not get the pin. Instead, Neshou was placed in ground position, though she was unable to capitalize on it.A subsequent two-point move gave Fenech a 6-5 lead. The score later became 6-6, with Fenech leading the criteria.
Nishu launched a final attack but got no points. Her coach appealed the decision but lost the review, allowing Fenech to advance to the semi-finals.After the match, Nesho remained on the mat crying and refused to shake hands with the referee or Fenech.Earlier in the day, Fenech was involved in a dispute over her weight class. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) initially informed her during the official weigh-in that she would only be allowed to compete in the 50kg category, citing her participation in that category in her last four international events, including the Paris Olympics.Fenech objected to the decision and accused the federation of discriminating against her by preventing her from competing in the category of her choice.The problem was later resolved in her favor. Fenech weighed 53.9 kg and was listed as a 53 kg draw.However, her run ended in the semifinals, where Meenakshi Goyat won 6-4 to eliminate her from contention at the Asian Games.
Do you think Vignesh Phogat should have been allowed to compete in her preferred weight class?