Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been notified by the International Testing Agency (ITA) to miss an out-of-competition doping test from December 18, 2025. This is their first failure in the last 12 months, news agency PTI reported.In a letter dated May 4, 2026, the ITA said the missing test has been recorded after reviewing its explanation submitted on January 19, 2026.The notice refers to an earlier letter sent on January 5, 2026, which identified the missed test and sought a response.The ITA clarified that this is not an anti-doping violation but a warning under the accommodation rule. This rule requires players to be available for surprise testing.According to United World Wrestling (UWW) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, three missed tests or failure to file within a year can result in an anti-doping violation and a suspension of up to two years.The ITA said the failed attempt occurred on December 18, 2025, when the Doping Control Officer (DCO) could not locate Vinesh during the 60-minute testing window.As per the rules, players in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) must give one hour daily between 6 am and 11 am for unannounced tests.The agency said Vinesh was attending the first winter session of the Haryana Assembly that day. He had traveled from Bengaluru to Chandigarh, which affected his schedule. She also noted that she had recently had a baby. During the visit, he informed the DCO that he was in Chandigarh for meetings.However, the ITA said it did not update its whereabouts details in time after the change in plan.It said players should update their details “as soon as possible” after any changes and before the one-hour testing window.The agency added that it did not use other options like SMS, email or mobile app to update its location on or before December 18.“In light of the above, the ITA finds that you were unable to prove that any negligent conduct on your part did not cause or contribute to your failure,” the notice said, confirming that the missed test would be recorded.The ITA said this was its first failure in a 12-month period.Vinesh has seven days from May 4 to ask for an administrative review if she believes the exam failure was not due to negligence. If she does not, the decision will be final.It comes months after she announced her return to wrestling in December 2025, stepping up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified from the women’s 50kg final for being overweight.
