The Wrestling Association Haryana’s announcement of selection trials for the Federation Cup 2026 has triggered a controversy, with international wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat questioning the eligibility criteria and seeking Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s intervention.As per the eligibility conditions, only Haryana domicile wrestlers who either won medals at the 2025 Senior State Championship or represented India in international wrestling events during 2025 will be eligible to participate in the trials. The trials are scheduled to be held on February 6 at a wrestling academy in Bohar (Rohtak), while the Federation Cup will take place in Ghaziabad from February 12 to 14.Calling the criteria “completely unjust,” Vinesh, a Congress MLA from Julana (Jind), took to social media platform ‘X’ to criticise the move.“Whether 2024 National medalists have now been rendered ineligible, whether medals won at the Sub Junior National level have lost their value, and whether injured players are being treated like offenders,” she asked.Vinesh, who withdrew her retirement decision in December, said restricting trials to only a select group amounted to a betrayal of thousands of hardworking wrestlers.“This year, major tournaments like the Asian Games and World Championships are scheduled. Playing in such tournaments and winning medals for the country is every player’s dream. But because of these rules, you are essentially eliminating them and putting a permanent halt to their future,” she said.“This is not only an injustice to the sport, but also a blatant disregard for the lives and struggles of the athletes. Where will our players, who have worked so hard for so many years, go now?” she questioned.She further said fair selection was becoming increasingly difficult even at the state level. “For fair selection, open trials are essential. Talent is recognised on the mat, and denying a player the opportunity to showcase their talent is a great injustice,” she added.However, Ramesh Bohar, acting president of the Wrestling Association Haryana, rejected the allegations, stating that Haryana was the only state conducting trials for the tournament for the past two years, while other states were selecting players based on past performances.Bohar added that trials would be held across all three styles — men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling — in different weight categories.