The AEF Cup CSIY: India celebrated a double podium finish in the overall standings at the AEF Cup CSIY-B, held at Surge Stable in Bangalore. Indian riders Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively while Iran's Yazdan Mollaafzal took the top spot, displaying consistency and precision across both rounds.
Surya Aditya, who had earlier secured the silver medal in Round 1 on Saturday, maintained his strong form to claim the overall silver in the competition. Meanwhile, the 16-year-old Avik Bhatia made an outstanding comeback after finishing 8th in Round 1 by grabbing silver in Round 2. His impressive performance in Round 2 helped him secure the bronze in the overall standings. Avik completed a clean jumping run in 86.43 seconds, which was faster than Iran’s Yazdan Mollaafzal, but penalties incurred for touching obstacles during the jump-off affected his final placement.
On Day 2, Avik initially led the jumping event but it was Yazdan Mollaafzal who ultimately claimed the gold medal with a flawless, penalty-free performance in the jump-off, clocking in at 60.32 seconds. Cambodian rider Menglong Rinda completed the podium in Round 2, finishing the course in 79.58 seconds with 4 penalty points.
