CHENNAI: Fouaad Mirza has still not given up the ghost of representing India at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. In normal circumstances, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) the body responsible for governing the sport in the country — would have cut through the redtape to ensure Mirza makes the squad.
The multiple Asian Games silver-medallist from 2018, as it stands, will not be featuring in Hangzhou. It’s largely thanks to a bizarre set of guidelines laid out by the EFI, who have already faced a couple of rough days in court.
The last date for the long list for horse and rider combinations for Hangzhou as per the Federation was May 15, extended from the earlier date of February 15 (Mirza also says that EFI didn’t share the details of the deadline being extended and riders had to find it out for themselves). “As of now, I cannot feature in the Asian Games because I haven’t qualified. I’m not in the long list,” the 31-year-old tells this daily. “I’m obviously very disappointed. I know that the last date for submission of the horse-rider combo is July 15 so there’s still time for me to qualify. I’m willing to give my selection trials in Europe.”
One can ask why Mirza isn’t willing to travel to India to give his trial here (or why he hadn’t travelled to give his trial already) but equestrian isn’t as simple as travelling on a flight, having a couple of training sessions before taking part in a competition. He has to transport his horses too, there will likely be a quarantine of sorts and he will also have to take into account the possibility of further quarantine for his horses after going back to Germany.
The hurt in his voice is visible as he tries to understand why the EFI is going about selecting the riders in this manner. He is not the only rider to have voiced his concerns about the selection process. There were at least three riders who had approached the court on the bizarre selection policies of the EFI.
“I don’t know why they are doing this,” says Mirza. “At the end of the day, when we win medals, it’s winning it for the country. We are going to be winning laurels for them only. I hope they understand it.”
Put it in other words, a contingent shorn of the likes of Mirza means it’s not the strongest squad on paper. And also Mirza is the only equestrian player to be part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
Adding to the complexity is the fact that the riders who have met the qualification criteria set by EFI will anyway have to be flown to Europe, retrain as well as requalify with a hired horse and only then they go to China. It’s because of the very strict quarantine controls China imposes on equines from India.
“I’m not an expert on this subject but there is likely to be more or less a ban on horses going from India because India’s disease control is a concern elsewhere,” Mirza says. “So Indian riders will have to come to Europe, retrain as well as requalify with another horse while meeting the Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER).”
With four months and a week to go for the Games, time is quickly running out for all parties to find a solution to an issue that’s been running for a year. The Delhi High Court has been quite critical about EFI’s selection policy, especially without a quorum in the selection committee. As per its website, right now they have only one member left out of five.