-G Rajaraman
It cannot be the Asian Games year if the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) is not embroiled in selection controversy. From sacking Selection Committee members, elected by the General Body from among those with qualifications, to creating conditions that make it hard for the best Indian riders to make it to the squad, EFI has left the sport in a mess of its own making.
Unlike in 2014 when the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports threatened to derecognise the EFI for sending a lame horse to the Asian Games and in 2018, when team selection was mired in controversy, this time the Federation has been attracting criticism from riders from well before. With seven months left for the Games, EFI has now been dragged to Court by several athletes.
From the senior-most athlete Col. Rajesh Pattu (retd.) to teenagers Chirag Khandal and Shashank Singh Kataria, Equestrian athletes have approached the Court for one reason or the other. It cannot get any worse than this, though the powers that be in Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the mainstream media have not yet trained their sights on the situation.
Let us first look at how Olympian Fouaad Mirza, who won an individual silver and helmed the Indian team to its silver medal in 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and Maryk Sahney, the highest-ranked Indian Eventing and Show Jumping riders, are not in the EFI scheme of things for the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou in September this year.
In its wisdom, EFI decided that riders seeking Asian Games berths needed to secure three Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) in four chosen competitions before February 15, seven months before the Games. It left Fouaad Mirza and his horse Seigneur Medicott with little time, after the World Equestrian Games in September last, to rest and recover before chasing the MERs.
In not taking the Germany-based rider’s schedule when finalising the deadline, EFI has come across as being unconcerned about fielding the best squad in the Asian Games. The absence of an elected Selection Committee, removed by the EFI Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh, is hurting the sport. As per the EFI Statutes, only an elected Selection Committee can decide on such issues.
The France-based Maryk Sahney, who competes in a higher grade of Jumping events in Europe than stipulated in the EFI selection policy for the Asian Games, found the criteria unfair to riders based overseas. He also chose to protect his horses and decided against being part of the selection process. Any plea for revision of the process did not cut ice with Col. Jaiveer Singh.
Meanwhile, a clutch of riders has moved the Delhi High Court, seeking directions to the EFI to accord them similar extension of the deadline to secure MERs as was done for Chirag Khandal last month. The Gurugram-based rider had challenged EFI circulars of August 10 and 17, 2022 which had revised the Asian Games selection procedure.
Anush Agarwala, Divyakriti Singh Rathore, Viveka Singh Rathore and Sudipti Hajela, Dressage riders who have compete overseas, are seeking extension of time to secure the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER). Shashank Singh Kataria, youngest rider to take part in the Eventing trials in India last year, as well as Show Jumping athlete Yash Nensee have also joined issue with EFI.
A reading of the Delhi High Court order of January 12 will make it clear the EFI submitted before the Court that Chirag Khandal could compete in four trials in March and April this year and, if he secured the needed MERs, could become eligible to join the coaching camps planned from May to prepare for the Asian Games.
As if these problems were not enough, EFI also faces fire from Maj. Apurva Dabhade, one of the Eventing riders chosen for the camp to be held overseas. He has written to the Federation pointing out that only four riders have achieved the requisite MERs, EFI has initiated steps to send a couple of riders who have not obtained three MERs as part of the squad.
Maj. Dabhade has politely called out the favouritism being shown to Ashish Malik and Rakesh Kumar. Curiously, both are riding horses leased from the EFI Vice President (Finance) Harish Khokhar. The office-bearer is one of the three remain members of the Executive Committee, the others being the Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh and Col. SS Ahlawat (retd.).
A cursory glance at the EFI website will reveal that no Executive Committee meeting has been held since March 24 last year. Without the seven members needed to form the quorum for decisions to be valid in the eyes of the law, the Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh has been making critical decisions all by himself.
A fair idea of how he functions can be seen from that fact while the meeting of the Committee of Experts was held on February 20, he e-mailed the remaining members of the Executive Committee late on February 21 and sought concurrence in 12 hours. For good measure, the Secretary-General adds acceptance would be assumed if a mail were not received by the set deadline.
The Committee of Experts is the latest smokescreen employed by the EFI but its very formation comes under question. For, the EFI Executive Committee does not have enough members to form a quorum for a meeting that can ratify the decision. Even among the three, Col. Ahlawat (retd.) has been opposed to the functioning of the Secretary-General.
It appears that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, including its field arm, Sports Authority of India, has not yet concerned itself as it ostensibly leaves matters of team selection to autonomous National Sports Federations. Perhaps, it is waiting for a direction from the Delhi High Court to step in and take control.
A CBI enquiry is need of the hour to name n shame corrupt people. The elite organization (Army) hierarchy need to pull those involved in wrong practices.