National Equestrian Champion Gaurav Pundir's 2023 Asian Games uncertain, claims EFI is biased

Equestrian Gaurav Pundir is a prominent name in India for those that are familiar with horse riding, and yet the two-time national champion might not be at the 2023 Asian Games.

Pundir's uncertain future at the 2023 Asian Games comes despite the fact that the player cleared the trials and was crowned champion at the 2023 National Equestrian Championship.

The issue stems from the fact that Pundir's horse Escobar can not compete in China due to quarantine regulations. The regulation states that Indian horses are not allowed, and Gaurav alleged that he was kept in the dark about this crucial piece of information.

Given that an equestrian's horse is key to the rider standing on the podium, this comes as a major blow for the national champ.

Pundir also claimed that the EFI hindered his efforts of traveling to Europe for competitions, among other things.

“In order to make sure I don't compete overseas, they kept making it difficult by not helping me get a visa to travel to Europe in addition to other things,” Pundir said. "(By hiding this part of China not allowing Indian horses), they (EFI officials) made sure that I couldn't travel abroad looking for a horse and training in Europe for almost a year. Their goal was to eliminate me from the Asian Games selection process.”

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Gaurav Pundir turns to the Delhi HC in a bid to make it to the Asian Games

When faced with the possibility of having to miss the 2023 Asian Games, a desperate Pundir turned to the court to help secure a "replacement entry" in the Hangzhou Games.

"I was a probable, but the federation did not tell me that my horse was not allowed. It was only at the end that I got that shocking email. Now one can imagine the panic that gripped me when I found out that I had to train with a new horse. My question is why? When I qualified for all rounds, when I am a 2-time National Champion? If this doesn't reek of bias, then what does?" Pundir said.

The court has ordered the EFI to help secure Gaurav Pundir's entry in two events in Europe so that the rider is able to qualify for the Minimum Eligibility Requirement with his new horse. This would allow Pundir to stay in contention for a place in the Indian Dressage Team.

For their part, the EFI claims that there is no bias at play, with general secretary Jaiveer Singh claiming that Pundir was aware of the fact that Indian horses were not eligible to compete in China.

“He (Pundir) could have used the time he wasted arguing against the EFI to look for a training base in Germany or France where all his teammates were training and competing to reach the Asian Games qualifying standards,” Jaiveer said. “He then chose Lithuania as his training base.”

The next court hearing for this case is scheduled for August 1, 2023.