Vinesh Phogat on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking a chance to fight for her place in India’s squad for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, challenging a Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) selection framework that she says excludes her for missing competitions during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery.Phogat has made it clear that she is not seeking automatic selection. Instead, she wants to be allowed to compete in the women’s selection trials scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, with her eventual selection to depend entirely on her performance. The Senior World Wrestling Championships are scheduled to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma asked counsel appearing for the WFI to obtain instructions on Phogat’s application and listed the matter for hearing on Thursday.In her application, Phogat has sought a stay on the operation of the WFI’s September 7 circular to the extent that it excludes her from the selection process. She has also sought a direction to the federation to provisionally include her in the eligibility pool and allow her to participate in the trials.The fresh application has been moved in Phogat’s pending petition seeking formulation of a policy for women athletes returning to competitive sport after pregnancy and maternity leave.At the heart of her challenge is the WFI’s eligibility framework for the trials, which Phogat has described as creating a “closed” pathway by linking eligibility to participation and performance in specified competitions.Under the circular, the women’s trials will be conducted in six Olympics weight categories. Those eligible include medal winners of the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda and the 2026 U23 National Wrestling Championship, besides specified Federation Cup medallists, wrestlers attending the national coaching camp and those selected for the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championship.Phogat has argued that she does not fall into any of these categories because her absence from the qualifying competitions was linked to pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery and requirements associated with her return to competitive wrestling.Her case is that the selection framework provides no mechanism for dealing with a woman athlete who could not participate in the prescribed qualifying events for maternity-related reasons.Phogat has also relied upon her performance at the Asian Games selection trials on May 30, where she competed in the 53kg category, won her quarterfinal bout and advanced to the semifinals.She has clarified that the performance is not being cited to claim an automatic place in the Indian team, but as evidence that she has returned to competitive wrestling and should therefore be allowed to enter the World Championships selection trials.”The Asian Games Selection Trials performance is a relevant circumstance” in determining whether she should be permitted to participate in the September 14 trials, the application states, adding that the ultimate selection can thereafter be made “solely” on the basis of her performance in those trials.Phogat has argued that the WFI cannot rely on her absence from competitions she could not participate in because of maternity-related circumstances while simultaneously disregarding her subsequent performance after she was given an opportunity to return to competition.