CHENNAI: India will go unrepresented in the inaugural Asian Championships scheduled in Pattaya, Thailand from December 1 to 8. For a country which won its first individual equestrian medal in 36 years at the 2018 Asian Games, skipping a big event does not bode well, especially with the Tokyo Games only eight months away.
The championships with three Olympic disciplines including eventing is the first of its kind to be held in the continent. The organiser even re-opened the nominated entries and urged the EFI again via its letter dated November 12 to send its athletes and horses. The Thailand Equestrian Federation had sent the first letter requesting participation on October 20. The second letter signed by Thailand federation secretary general Nara Ketusingha also clarified that it will bear all expenses related to the transportation of horses and riders, their stay and return on actual basis. “We shall take care of all the logistics and ensure the visa formalities as well,” the letter added.
Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), riders and former players gave conflicting replies when spoken to in this regard.
“Despite setting the qualifying standards almost like Olympics, a few participants managed to qualify in eventing. Two selection trials were held in Meerut and one was held in Jaipur in July and August, said a source who attended the trials.
“The eventing team could have been sent as no one qualified in dressage and show jumping. I don’t know what prevented the EFI from sending the team as it could have given riders and horses a good exposure,” added the source.
An EFI source claimed only one participant managed to clear the trials rendering the federation helpless to form a team for the championships. “As per the qualification norms, a participant has to attain qualification marks in two of the three trials. Only one of the participants managed to clear two trials while four managed to clear one of the three trials in eventing.
“Given the eligibility criteria, we were unable to select those who cleared just one trial as it would have raked up controversy. A team couldn’t have been constituted with just one participant so we decided against India’s participation in the event,” clarified an EFI source.
The EFI also informed that 50-penalty or below in the two trials was mandatory for selection of a rider in eventing and only one of the participants managed to attain it.
“Accusations against the EFI are not correct as budget was allocated for the championships in advance. We have also started the process for obtaining equine disease free zone (EDFZ) and requested quotes from carriers so that horses can be transported for the event. Had the participants managed to qualify, we would have surely sent them,” added an EFI source.