The Ad-Hoc Committee appointed to run the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) has informed the Delhi High Court that governance reforms and elections may take longer than initially planned. The committee cited statutory requirements under the new sports law and delays in gaining full control of the federation as reasons for the extended timeline.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) removed Col Ashok Yadav (Retd) from the ad-hoc committee running the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) citing infighting and disagreements within the panel.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has established a four-member ad-hoc committee to manage the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), following a directive from the Delhi High Court to restore democratic governance within the sport.
Olympian dressage rider Anush Agarwalla and the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc panel are engaged in a heated dispute over the selection process for the upcoming Asian Games. Agarwalla, a gold medallist and Paris Olympics representative, alleges a lack of transparency after being named a reserve member, while the EFI defends its process as compliant with selection criteria.
Indian equestrian Anush Agarwalla secured second place at the CDI1 Prix St. Georges in Germany with a score of 70.147%. This impressive performance comes as he challenges his exclusion from the Indian dressage team for the 2026 Asian Games in the Delhi High Court, despite being India's highest-ranked dressage rider and a past Asian Games medallist.
The Delhi High Court has reserved its verdict on petitions filed by riders Anush Agarwalla and Sudipti Hajela, who challenged their exclusion from India's dressage team for the upcoming Asian Games. The athletes appealed a single judge's earlier decision that upheld the Equestrian Federation of India's selection process. The court heard arguments from all parties, including the EFI, which maintained that the best riders were selected and opposed external interference.
The Delhi High Court has upheld the Equestrian Federation of India's (EFI) selection process for the Asian Games dressage team, dismissing petitions from riders Anush Agarwalla and Sudipti Hajela. The court found no arbitrariness or procedural impropriety, reinforcing the principle that judicial interference in expert selection bodies is limited. Challenges regarding Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs), criteria interpretation, and bias were all rejected.
The Sports Ministry, led by Mansukh Mandaviya, has announced stringent selection criteria for the upcoming Asian Games, capping the contingent at 600 athletes. The policy prioritises medal prospects, stating that the Games are not for "exposure tours" or securing jobs. This includes a "realistic chance of winning a medal" and being in the top six continental rankings. The ministry will scrutinise recommendations from National Sports Federations, with specific cases like equestrian Anush Agarwalla and table tennis player Manika Batra highlighting the new approach.
The Indian Equestrian team won a historic bronze medal on debut at the Women's International Tent Pegging Championship at Wadi Rum in Jordan.
The naming of rape-accused Col (Retd) Tarsem Singh Warraich for an overseas assignment has yet again brought the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) under the scanner, even as the Sports Ministry, in an unrelated development, has issued a show-cause notice to the federation over prolonged governance and compliance failures.
Rider Fateh Jahan Singh Dhaliwal, aged 16, has also approached the court, through his mother, seeking quashing of the list of selected athletes and requested "further directions to conduct the shortlisting of riders for the Asian Youth Games".
Anush Agarwalla was allotted the quota on the basis of his performance in four FEI events.
Fouaad Mirza on Sunday became the first Indian to win an Asian Games individual medal in the equestrian event since 1982 besides guiding the country to a second-place finish in the team competition, in Jakarta.
'It was not easy. I did not have the normal life of a teenager because I have been busy training with my horses. But it is all worth now. During Diwali and Holi, I was alone. The motivation was the goal of winning medals for India. So, we endured all this A big shout out to our horses also. We are nothing without them.'
Winning the country's first ever bronze medal at the Tent Pegging World Cup in South Africa was a historic feat for the Indian riders, but instead of rejoicing the podium finish, the equestrians were struggling to hold their tears.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha has proposed that only disciplines featuring in the Olympics, Commonwealth and Asian Games be considered for inclusion in the future National Games,
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the Asian Games.
Asian Games medal winner Fouaad Mirza called for financial help in popularising equestrian in India, saying the government can take a cue from European nations such as the United Kingdom and Germany.
The sports ministry cleared the final contingent that also features 140 support staff and officials, of which 72 "have been approved at cost to the Government" to meet the "requirements" of the travelling sportspersons.
It was a day when India counted the silvers, a total of five, even though there was no gold in the tally.
Boxing and weightlifting federations were given 18 months time to set their house in order to be considered for the 2028 Games.
Soon after the new dates were announced, IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said, "Indian Olympic Association along with the National Sports Federations welcome and support the new dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will be held from 23 July to 8 August, 2021."
The contingent comprises 277 men and 247 women athletes. In the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, the Indian contingent featured 541 athletes across 28 disciplines.
'Team India's participation in the Olympics couldn't have ended on a sweeter note'
Will India finally reach the elusive double-digit mark? Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry, for one, is willing to stick his neck out on the possibility.
Mehta said if the government so directs, the IOA, in coordination with the concerned National Sports Federations (NSFs), can facilitate the vaccination
Seven Olympic and six Paralympic disciplines were identified for support at a meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell.
The IOA also said that the decision will now relieve the Indian athletes of having to train amidst lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
India will not take part in baseball, bowling, fencing, karate, modern pentathlon, rugby, softball, soft tennis and triathlon because of the athletes' poor standards.
Federal authorities in the United States have seized two valuable artefacts stolen from India valued at about $450,000 (Rs 3 crore) from the premier auction house Christie's, just days before a scheduled auction of the items as part of planned festivities to celebrate Asia week.
Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom led the charge as Indian women boxers packed a powerful punch by assuring themselves of medals in each of the three weight categories at the 17th Asian Games, in Incheon on Sunday.
The haul of 64 medals at the Commonwealth Games, in July-August, which included 15 gold, should act as the ideal springboard for the Indian contingent to better its medal tally at Guangzhou, China, four years ago.
Polo is regarded as sport of the kings. It was played by the likes of Darius, Genghis Khan, and Alexander the Great. Dr Richard T. Caleel, the president of the Federation of International Polo (FIP) was in Jaipur recently. Rediff.com's PB Chandra spoke to Dr Caleel on how the FIP is trying to popularize the sport.
