The Equestrian Federation of India officials showed yet again how little they care for their athletes when they told the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Friday that EFI has no plans to send any athlete to the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. And this at a time when Asian Games eventing silver medallist Fouaad Mirza is within sniffing distance of an Olympic berth.
In saying that the EFI officials not only revealed their ignorance of three Indians – Asian Games eventing silver medallist Fouaad Mirza and dressage specialists Shruti Vora and Anush Agarwalla – working hard to attain qualification standards in Europe but also abused the trio’s determined efforts to do something special.
EFI officials are reported to have cited the absence of an equine quarantine facility in India as the reason for not having any Olympic aspirations. The Indian Olympic Association President Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra is said to have reminded them that EFI had used the facility in the Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre and College in Meerut ahead of each Asian Games.
Besides, they were only misleading the Ministry when they offered the ‘absence’ of a quarantine facility as the reason for deciding to skip the Olympic Games. After all, the horses, owned or leased by the Indians, have overseas bases and will not need to come to India before heading to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Fouaad Mirza’s mount Seigneur Medicott was not quarantined in India before the Asian Games. Nor, for that matter, were the horses ridden by Rakesh Kumar (Veni Vedi Vici), Ashish Malik (Feimeur du Record CH) and Jitender Singh (Dalakhani du Routy) need quarantine in India. Now, if any of the three Indians make the grade, their horses will be flown from Europe to Tokyo.
The FEI website now lists the Fouaad Mirza-Fernhill Facetime combination on top the FEI Group G Olympic ranking, four points ahead of the Fouaad Mirza-Touchingwood pair. Hong Kong’s Thomas Heffernan (astride Tayberry) is a distant third. With three months left for the qualification period to end, it can be said Fouaad Mirza is close to securing a berth in the Olympic Games.
Similarly, Shruti Vora (astride Denightron) is in fifth place in dressage Group G ranking while Anush Agarwalla (on Flovinos Feiner Kerl) is a rung lower in which appears to be a keen battle for that sole spot from the group. Each of these athletes would be heartbroken to know that while their own Federation has not offered them any support
Officials of the Ministry, assisted by the research team in Sports Authority of India, and the Indian Olympic Association would possibly have known that some in EFI appear to have used their positions in the Federation only to further their own interests as international judges. Such EFI officials could not care less if their athletes seek Olympic qualification.
After all, EFI let go of a golden chance to have the National eventing team qualify for the Olympic Games when it ignored the FEI Group F& G Olympic qualifier in Saumur in May. With Asia’s best outfit, Japan, qualifying as the host nation and China placed in group F, India had only to beat Thailand and Hong Kong in that competition to make the grade.
India went unrepresented. Yes, unrepresented. There was no attempt, absolutely none, by EFI to try and make history by getting the team to qualify for the Olympic Games. Would it have been possible for India to make the grade? By all means, the silver medal winning squad of 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta could have edged out Thailand in Saumur.
Could a Federation, which is run by officials from an establishment renowned for its discipline, have any worse an attitude towards its athletes? Do these officials not take any pride in the organisation they work for? Do they not care they could besmirch the fair name of the wonderful institution that they are an integral part of?
Hi Mr. Rajaraman, I am Mustafa H. Tehrani an FEI International Endurance Rider who was the first ever Endurance Rider in Indian History to qualify and represent India at the WEG World Equestrian Games Kentucky 2010 in a 160 Kms endurance race and finished in 30th position. I live in USA and had encountered tons of difficulties with my own Indian Federation at that time as they would not even support me to send my entries on time even though I had my self paid all the amount which costed me around $ 25, 000 to represent my own country India. The amount of stress the EFI put me in for months before the WEG took a toll on my health and due to heavy stress I had a Cardiac Arrest 21 days before the WEG, was hospitalized for 24 hours but I did not give up my will power. In 2012 I and my nephew both had qualified with my own horses for the World Endurance Championships at London and was willing to represent India again, but due to the EFI’s corrupt response we decided not to represent India and later on me and my nephew had no choice but to accept citizenship’s from USA and Australia. It is heart breaking when you have such an attitude from your own National Federation. I am a Master Farrier by profession, worked for many international endurance teams since 34 years and graded one of the Best Farrier in the World. I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Dear Mr. Tehrani,
It is always good to hear from a pioneer, even though these are not ideal circumstances.
The heart-attack 21 days before the WEG makes for poignant reading and makes your effort of competing and doing well in the event all the more creditable.
Hopefully, things will change for the Indian equestrian community sooner than later and we shall have the opportunity of interacting in better circumstances.
Personally I was shocked to hear that the Federation lived in denial that any Indian athlete is attempting Olympic qualification. It is quite appalling that the men who run the Federation hail from an organisation that is well known to be disciplined and to care for its personnel. When a Federation does not acknowledge that the athlete is the centre of its universe, there can be only shock and dismay.
Regards
Raj