The beleaguered Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) has used an opening provided by a compliant Athletes Commission Chairman Vanita Malhotra and lowered the qualifying standards for the Asian Games, ostensibly to ensure that a couple of Eventing riders get an extended opportunity to displace those who have secured their places as per the criteria laid down.
As a special invitee in a meeting of the Committee of Experts, the 2014 Asian Games Dressage competitor recommended that all riders who had secured one Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) be sent to Europe for training and competitive exposure. All versions of the selection criteria, including the one not drawn up by qualified and elected selectors, had sought three MERs.
Using the opening provided by the Chairman of the Athletes Commission, the Committee as well the EFI Vice President (Finance) Harish Khokhar and Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh quickly decided to accept her recommendations and made amendments to the selection criteria to pick an expanded group of athletes to send to Europe.
Col. Jaiveer Singh’s decision to form the Committee may not stand legal scrutiny as the EFI Executive has been reduced to just three persons from 21, thanks in part to a Delhi High Court order and to some resignations, but mainly because the Secretary-General removed many as they ‘completed’ their term. The quorum for an Executive Committee meeting is a minimum of seven.
EFI ignores Maj. Dabhade’s plea to foster team spirit
It would appear as if EFI chose not to bring up, let alone pay heed to, Maj. Apurva Dabhade’s mail, written a day before the meeting of the said Committee of Experts. “It will be best to follow the proven path taken during the Asian Games 2018 by providing two horses to three riders who have qualified on merit and select the best combination prior to the Asian Games,” he wrote.
“It will create the best possible environment during the coaching camp where the team members will be helping each other rather than praying for each other’s failure,” he wrote. “It has also been learnt that a makeshift selection committee is being nominated with an aim to give a chance to riders who have not met the requisite QR which is unfair and not in the interest of the sport.”
Curiously, the EFI Athlete Commission Chairman not only was far from being involved in the drawing up any of the five versions of Selection Criteria in force from September 6, October 1 and 22, 2021 as well as August 10 and 17, 2022, but also chose not to even make a comment on them. It could be her way of respecting the domain that belonged only to the selectors.
There is no record of Ms. Vanita Malhotra having a view on selection matters until she was invited to the February 20 meeting. But rather than soliciting the views of the members of the Committee of Experts first, she recommended the watering down the selection criteria so that a larger squad of probables could be sent to Europe for training and competitive exposure.
From a perusal of the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee, it is clear she did not advocate the possibility of including 2018 Asian Games silver medalist and Olympian Fouaad Mirza in the scheme of things now. If there was a desire on her part to ensure the best Indian team would be fielded to enhance chances of winning medals, it was conspicuous by its absence.
Federation drags feet over resolving export of horses
Nor did the Chairman of the Athletes Commission express an opinion on EFI’s slack approach towards ensuring that the riders who competed in the trials in India would be able take their mounts to the competition. She suggested that horses can be leased till the Asian Games, quite ignoring the fact that a sponsor had bought the horses which helped India win two medals in 2018.
It was known to the EFI as early as in October 2022 that the European Union would not allow Indian horses. It was a full two months before EFI attempted to find out from United Arab Emirates if it could move the horses there. It discovered earlier this month that UAE follows the same protocols as the European Union, and it does not accept horses from India.
The Committee of Experts believes that the Eventing probables can certainly win medals and the Dressage squad stands a very good chance of winning a Bronze. It has overlooked the fact that barring Ashish Limaye who can ride his horse Willy Be Dun, the Eventing probables will first have to establish a bond with unfamiliar horses.
Now that there is no lead time needed for veterinary protocols for horses based in India, the deadlines can easily be revised to ensure that the best athletes make the Indian team. But only after it is confirmed that horses of quality can be leased in Europe and used for training ahead of the Asian Games.
It is time the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports forms a committee of Arjuna Award winning Equestrian athletes to oversee the selection procedure so that the best possible team is sent to Hangzhou and returns with some medals. Such a panel can be empowered to persuade the likes of Fouaad Mirza to join the team with a more practical deadline to secure the MER.
This piece first appeared on February 24, 2023, here https://revsportz.in/sports-ministry-must-form-panel-to-oversee-equestrian-squad-selection-for-asian-games/
