Vinesh Phogat alleged bias and unfair treatment after her Asian Games selection trials campaign ended in a semifinal defeat on Saturday, while Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) officials defended the selection process and said the trials were conducted fairly.

The wrestler, who became one of the faces of the 2023 protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, said she was continuing to face battles both on and off the mat despite court orders permitting her participation.

"I do not feel I have failed. I was fighting a whole system. We had to fight for every point. I was not given a fair deal. I do not grudge the athletes who fought with me. They also had dreamt of fighting against me. I will come back," Vinesh said after her defeat.

According to news agencies, she left wresting mat by saying: "I will come back."

Speaking to IANS, Vinesh said: "Right now, the federation wants me to die quickly — that's what they think."

Protest background and legal battle

Vinesh was among the leading Indian wrestlers who spearheaded the 2023 protests seeking the arrest and removal of then-WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment and mental torture made by female wrestlers.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament at the time. Protesters and opposition parties accused the BJP-led central government of protecting him despite the allegations.

Her participation in the Asian Games selection trials came after a prolonged legal and administrative dispute with the WFI.

The Delhi High Court had directed the federation to treat Vinesh as an "iconic player" and allow her to compete in the trials.

Referring to the court intervention, Vinesh said: "I am very grateful to the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court for granting permission. That is why I was able to compete on the mat today; otherwise, they would not have allowed me to compete on the mat under any circumstances. From the very beginning, I have maintained that the result should be decided on the mat, who is better and who is not. The decision was biased. I want to train so hard that even those who are cheating will be left behind. I want to improve to such an extent that, despite their cheating, they will not be able to defeat me. I will continue to work hard, train even harder, and perform even better."

She also said: "I am trying, but every day feels like a new battle for us. First we are outside the court, then we are inside the court, and I am here today. Even after the orders given by the High Court and the Supreme Court, they are still shamelessly continuing this..."

WFI says selection process was fair

WFI president Sanjay Singh rejected Vinesh's allegations and defended the conduct of the trials.

"The trial was clean... The selection was fair... IOA observers and observers from the sports ministry are all here... I don't think any accusation will be raised."

WFI vice-president Jai Prakash also dismissed suggestions of irregularities.

"People wanted to create a ruckus, but the trial was clean. Who will say there was a foul?..."

Comeback ends in semifinal defeat

The reactions came after Vinesh's return to competitive wrestling ended in a 4-6 loss to Meenakshi Goyat in the 53kg semifinals of the Asian Games selection trials.

The appearance was her first since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified from the women's 50kg final after being found 100 grams overweight on the morning of the gold-medal bout.

Her day began with controversy when she was initially informed during the official weigh-in that she would only be allowed to compete in the 50kg category, the division in which she had competed in her previous four international events, including the Paris Olympics.

Vinesh objected and accused the WFI of discrimination. Federation president Sanjay Singh later intervened and allowed her to enter the 53kg trials.

After weighing 53.9kg, she began her campaign with a 7-1 win over Jyoti.

She then survived a dramatic quarterfinal against Nishu Kumari. Nishu built a 5-0 lead after a four-point throw, while the bout was interrupted several times because of challenges and technical issues with the scoring system.

Vinesh fought back with a four-point throw in the second period and eventually secured a narrow 7-6 victory.

The demanding contest appeared to affect her in the next round. Facing Asian Championship silver medallist Meenakshi Goyat in the semifinals, Vinesh lost 4-6, ending her hopes of making the national team through the trials.

Earlier in the day, she had underlined her intention to continue wrestling, telling reporters: "I am here for at least two years."