Paris Olympics 2024: Delhi High Court restrains EFI from selecting dressage rider Anush Agarwalla

On Friday, June 28, the Delhi High Court restricted the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) until the next date of hearing (July 1) from issuing a formal communication to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) regarding its decision to select dressage rider Anush Agarwalla for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Notably, another dressage rider Shruti Vora had filed a plea, seeking to put aside the apex body’s selection criteria for the Summer Games in Paris. It will be India's first-ever entry at the Dressage event at the Olympics.

“Considering the urgency and extremity expressed by the counsel for the petitioner, it is directed that respondent number 1 (EFI) shall not issue formal communication to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) till the next date of hearing. Renotify on Monday,” the order passed by a vacation bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna said.

Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Vora, pleaded with the court to hear the matter urgently as the EFI had to formally communicate with the IOA on its dressage selection by Sunday, June 30. The next hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 1.

A look at the EFI’s selection criteria for the Paris Olympics 2024

According to the selection criteria set by the EFI in February 2024, if multiple riders meet the criterion, the athlete with the highest average in the Grand Prix out of the best four events in the past 12 months shall be chosen to participate.

It’s worth noting that as per the EFI, Anush Agarwalla averaged 0.532 points more than Vora. His Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) are 67.936% in Wiesbaden in May 2024, 68.261 % in Mechelen in December 2023, 67.152 % in Frankfurt in December 2023, and 67.804 % in Wroclaw in October 2023.

Vora’s plea stated that EFI’s selection criteria were unfair, asserting that they inherently discriminate by excluding all other dressage riders from consideration except Agarwalla.

“The action of the Respondent No. 1 to, somehow, make the basis of selection to the Olympic event on the basis of retrospective scores instead of present and recent performances is in itself illogical, arbitrary, irrational and in direct contravention of principles of natural justice,” the plea read.