The beleaguered Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) is banking heavily on the minutes of a meeting of the Committee of Experts – a smokescreen, basically – to rustle up a team for the Asian Games, ignoring the overwhelming fact that the Delhi High Court held this Committee as having no basis in the EFI Statutes.
EFI, which vies for the tag of the worst-run National Sports Federation within the portals of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, used an opening provided by a compliant Athletes Commission Chairman Vanita Malhotra in the Committee of Experts meeting to lower the qualifying standards.
Though she wrote to the Federation a couple of days later, changing her stance, EFI ignored her plea and continues to cite the minutes of the meeting of the Committee of Experts, even after Justice Gaurang Kanth of the Delhi High Court trashed the authenticity of the meeting to which she was only a special invitee.
It is not very hard to understand that after the Delhi High Court ruled that the Committee of Experts had no basis in the EFI Statutes, only horse-rider combinations that met the laid down selection criteria should be selected to represent India in the Asian Games. No individual or a so-called Committee of Experts has the right to change the accepted selection criteria.
As per selection criteria laid down by the Selection Committee in 2021 and amended by the Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh in August 2022, no combination, based either overseas or in India, made the grade in Dressage and Show-Jumping. Only two rider-horse combinations attained qualifying norms for Eventing, Ashish Limaye (seen above) on Wily Be Dun and Dinard Peguignon was the only one to get three Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER).
Apurva Dabhade (Cantolina), Vikas Kumar (Altaf) and Raju Singh (Matakali) were the other combinations that attained qualifying standards in selection trials held in India. However, these trials held in India have been rendered of little use since horses based in India will not be allowed to enter China for the Asian Games.
Any power to dilute the selection criteria vests with the Selection Committee or the Executive Committee. As is well known, EFI does not have either after the Secretary-General removed the selectors claiming that their term had ended. Following a series of events, including in the High Court, only three members of the Executive are left, well short of the quorum of seven.
Now, in young Eventing rider Shashank Kataria’s case, EFI has stated that it cannot grant him any concession prejudicial to the preparation of the six ‘probables’. However, it seems to have no qualms in granting concessions in terms of reduced MERs for the new rider-horse combinations in Europe, barring of course, the two featuring Ashish Limaye.
Interestingly, Apurva Dabhade wrote an email in February asking the Federation to not send riders to a camp who have not attained the three qualifying norms. “It will be best to follow the proven path which was taken during the Asian Games 2018 by providing two horses to selected riders who have qualified on merit and select the best combination prior to the Asian Games.
“It will create the best possible environment during the coaching camp where all the selected team members as per selection criteria will be helping each other rather than praying for each other’s failure,” he wrote.
In fact, EFI has gone a step ahead to give new rider-horse combinations in Eventing opportunities to secure a minimum of one MER to attain qualification. As a result of its own lethargy, some suggest it is deliberate, the fact that horses based in India cannot travel to China meant that none of horse-rider combinations which competed in trials at home can take part in the Asian Games.
Clearly, a desperate attempt is being made to find ways for two riders who attained but two MERs against the three laid down by the Selection Criteria. One of the two riders attempted qualifying on horse leased from the Equestrian Federation of India Vice-President (Finance) Harish Khokhar. An order of the Delhi High Court has held it to be a major vested interest.
EFI Executive Committee member SS Ahlawat wrote to the members of the committee requesting them to exercise due diligence when considering the proposals received from the Equestrian Federation of India and not allocate funds from the public exchequer to proposals that are not rooted in fair play and transparency.
“As a member of the EFI Executive Committee, it is my bounden duty to keep you posted about the current state of affairs in the Federation – and to help prevent public money from being spent to perpetuate a fraud by a couple of officials whose sole purpose is to try and get two riders to participate in the Asian Games rather than aim for medals,” he wrote.
He pointed out that no Selectors or Veterinary Doctors had seen the horses that would be leased now. He also raised questions if the lessor or a member his family would be involved in coaching the team. More importantly, he, said it takes time for a rider and a horse to strike understanding necessary for the combination to perform to potential and be a medal prospect.
It is another matter that the EFI proposal may not have been put up before the panel on Tuesday.
