The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has suspended Neha Sangwan for two years after the 59kg wrestler was disqualified from the Junior World Championships in Bulgaria for failing to make weight.
In a notice, WFI president Sanjay Singh said this was not an isolated incident, citing similar lapses at last year’s U20 Worlds in Spain and the international ranking series in Hungary earlier this year.
“Your repeated negligence and inability to maintain professional discipline have adversely impacted the performance and reputation of the Indian wrestling team at the international level,” Singh wrote.
Neha, 18, is regarded as one of India’s brightest young talents, having won the U17 world title in 2023, two consecutive U17 Asian golds, and medals at senior-level ranking series this year. She had also beaten Olympian Anshu Malik in the senior trials earlier. However, coaches admitted that weight management has been a recurring issue.
Neha becomes the first Indian wrestler to be disqualified for a weigh-in failure since Vinesh Phogat’s Paris Olympics episode, when she missed the 50kg final weigh-in after beating Japan’s Yui Susaki in the semis.
The suspension rules Neha out of both junior and senior Worlds next month, with Sarika Malik named as her replacement in the 59kg category.
WFI officials indicated the ban could be reduced after a hearing, given Neha’s young age and potential. Women’s team chief coach Virender Dahiya stressed she remains in India’s long-term plans: “She is very talented, but as a professional wrestler she needs to learn to maintain her category weight.”
