CHENNAI: After more than a year, a team from Pakistan will compete in a sporting event in the country. Pakistan is among seven countries expected to participate in the World Cup Qualifiers for Equestrian Tent Pegging, subject to government clearance, scheduled in Greater Noida from March 11 to 14. The other participating nations apart from hosts India and Pakistan are Russia, USA, Belarus, Sudan and Bahrain.
A five-member squad comprising three wrestlers was the last team from the neighbouring country to visit India for a competition — at the Asian Championships held in February 2020 in New Delhi.
"Pakistan team has expressed its willingness to compete in the qualifiers. A seven-member Pakistan is expected to compete," Jaiveer Singh, secretary-general of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), told this daily.
Speaking further on the participating nations, he said, "EFI has informed Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs about the participating nations and will wait for their directives."
Out of the seven teams, the top-two sides will qualify for the World Cup scheduled in South Africa in 2023. Given the situation due to the pandemic, the teams will also have to follow Covid-19 protocols as per the government orders. "Yes, the protocols will be there as specified by the central government," the EFI office-bearer added.
Horses from the National Equestrian Championship (tent pegging) will be selected for the qualifiers. The national championship will be held at Gautam Buddha University Sports Ground in Greater Noida from March 3 to 7. A draw of lots will be done to assign horses to riders from various participating teams.
Tent pegging involves a horse and its rider racing along a predefined course and collecting, cutting, shooting, or accurately “stabbing” a series of pegs, lemons, rings, or mannequins along the way.
