Indian dressage rider Anush Agarwala has challenged the decision to leave Anush Agarwalla out of India's squad for the next Asian Games.
Anush Agarwalla alleged the selection process lacked clarity and openness. Anush Agarwalla also asked for the calculations and criteria used by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc panel.
The EFI named four riders for Dressage in the squad list. The selected riders were Shruti Vora Magnanimous, Gaurav Pundir Milli, Jai Sud Goofy La Perla, and Hriday Chheda Dono Di Maggio. Anush Agarwalla was placed as a reserve member. Sudipti Hajela was also listed as a reserve.
Asian Games selection and Anush Agarwalla complaint
In a letter to the panel, Anush Agarwalla described a meeting with EFI official Col. Sandeep Dewan. Col. Sandeep Dewan is a member of the EFI Dressage
committee. Anush Agarwalla said access to merit calculations was refused. Anush Agarwalla also said it was unclear which body made the final call.
Anush Agarwalla, who is based in Germany, said Anush Agarwalla travelled to India for answers. Anush Agarwalla said the same assurance was repeated during discussions. Officials said the selection was fair and followed the published rules. Anush Agarwalla said requests to review the calculations were declined.
Anush Agarwalla also raised concerns about a clause in the selection criteria. The clause called for a final trial among probable riders before naming the team. Anush Agarwalla said this trial did not happen. Anush Agarwalla said the selection committee felt another trial was unnecessary.
Asian Games squad issue and EFI ad-hoc panel context
Anush Agarwalla said attempts to get clarity from acting ad-hoc committee president Yashodhara Singh failed. Anush Agarwalla also said chief technical advisor Adhiraj Singh did not respond. Anush Agarwalla said this led to the formal letter to the ad-hoc panel. Anush Agarwalla asked for details behind the decision.
Anush Agarwalla has been India's top dressage performer in recent years. Riding Sir Caramello, Anush Agarwalla became the first Indian dressage rider to qualify for the Olympic Games. Anush Agarwalla represented India at the Paris Olympics. Anush Agarwalla was also India's lone dressage representative there.
Anush Agarwalla was part of India's gold medal-winning dressage team at the Hangzhou Asian Games. The win ended a four-decade wait for an equestrian gold at the Asian Games. Anush Agarwalla has also stayed India's highest-ranked dressage rider on the international circuit.
The EFI has been run by an ad-hoc committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The step followed governance disputes and administrative issues in the national federation. The panel handled sports matters, including selections for key events. This arrangement stayed in place until fresh elections were held.
The IOA appointed the ad-hoc committee on March 27 after a Delhi High Court directive. The court order called for restoring democratic governance in the EFI. The earlier executive committee's term ended in 2023. A four-member panel was set up to run the federation and change its constitution.
Yashodhara Raje Scindia headed the four-member panel. The panel was also tasked with conducting fresh elections. The committee later faced internal disagreement. Last month, the IOA removed member (Administration) Col. Ashok Yadav after complaints about conduct and functioning.
Col. Ashok Yadav disputed the IOA action and made separate claims. Col. Ashok Yadav alleged being pushed aside for opposing moves to favour certain riders. Col. Ashok Yadav also alleged efforts to bypass set selection rules. Anush Agarwalla's letter added to the scrutiny around how selections were handled.
With inputs from PTI
