Equestrian Federation of India’s cup of woes is brimming, what with the Delhi High Court-appointed Observer SY Quraishi also training his guns on the manner in which it tried to ride rough shot over Dressage rider, Sweta Hooda’s complaint about a technical oversight in the conduct of the last National Equestrian Championship.
Already directed by the Delhi High Court to not let Lt. Gen. SS Mishra and Lt. Gen. MKS Yadav function as its President and Vice-President (Administration) respectively, EFI now finds itself in a deeper hole. Dr. Quraishi’s stern letter to the EFI Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh reminding him that the Delhi High Court had appointed him to look into EFI’s functioning.
“Your lack of seriousness in following directives from a Court-appointed Observer raises serious questions about the functioning of your secretariat and your bona fides,” Dr. Quraishi wrote. In fact, he was also miffed that in his reply, Col. Jaiveer Singh had claimed that in absence of an elected President, the EFI Executive Committee is the ‘final body’.
“I am very concerned about (the EFI) Executive Committee’s inability to take up complaints from athletes in a timely and fair manner, and their alleged role in the many complaints that have started to come to me recently from many complainants,” Dr. Quraishi wrote, revealing that Sweta Hooda was not the only athlete who had drawn his attention against the arbitrary functioning of EFI.
“On top of this, your questioning of athletes (bordering on threat) who reach out to me in my capacity as an Observer is unacceptable and displays your organisation’s culture in poor light when the Federation ought to be respectful of the Athletes’ Commission and pushing for greater transparency and fairness,” he wrote.
Acting on a complaint by Sweta Hooda who said EFI had willfully allowed a violation by letting Viveka Singh Rathore, on Chateau VS, to compete in the National Equestrian Championships Intermediate-I event on January 20 last year, despite being two grades lower per the EFI technical guidelines.
Sweta Hooda first wrote in March 2020 to the then EFI President Lt. Gen. R Gopal. Then, she raised the issue with the EFI Athletes’ Commission. “As an example of good sporting ethic and respect for rules, I had voluntarily withdrawn my own entry for Intermediate-I at National Championships despite having one Minimum Eligibility Requirement,” she wrote.
The Athletes’ Commission held the view that Sweta Hooda’s was right to feel aggrieved and that EFI should take necessary action to correct its mistake. “In our view, in all fairness to all riders, the result of Ms. Viveka Rathore at Intermediate 1 Nationals 2020 should be disregarded as she entered her horse in a wrong grade and hence the result should be declared null and void,” it wrote.
After a series of letters from Sweta Hooda, the EFI Secretary-General reverted on December 11 rejecting her complaint. “Your complaint to this National Federation on the subject matter was deliberated and examined in detail. You are hereby informed that your complaint being time barred is not maintainable. Hence rejected,” Col. Jaiveer Singh wrote.
It was then that Sweta Hooda escalated the complaint to the Court-appointed Observer. Having first told Dr. Quraishi that he was extremely preoccupied and would meet him with a bulky file, Col Jaiveer Singh appears to have taken ‘precipitate, preemptive action’. “This is highly objectionable and raises questions of propriety and bona fides,” wrote Dr. Quraishi.
“I have gone through the various emails including the complainant’s para wise rebuttal, language of the rules, and other facts put up to me by the Athletes’ Commission, and your Secretariat. I have arrived at the conclusion that rules were violated as alleged and I find it very strange that your Executive Committee should allow these violations,” he wrote.
“I demand an immediate and clear confirmation of a violation of the rules and regulations. Is it not imperative to declare the disputed event null and void given this participation was in violation of rules? In view of your coming Nationals, isn’t swift action desirable in public interest?” Dr. Quraishi asked Col. Jaiveer Singh.
It will be interesting to see if Dr. Quraishi has taken similar in other complaints referred to him by riders and State Equestrian Associations. It is also more interesting that he has asked Col. Jaiveer Singh to share his letter with the Quartermaster General, someone who has not been allowed to function as EFI President by the Delhi High Court.
The EFI Executive has members still on the committee who have completed their term. Still the EFI is not holding the elections. Nor has the EFI announced the AGM which as per their statutes was due in September 2020. it is encouraging to see the Observer taking a serious view on the EFI working.