Asian games team dressage

Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya: Asian Games Team Dressage gold medallist Anush Agarwalla has taken up the cudgels against the Equestrian Federation of India for naming him as a reserve for the upcoming Asian Games and said the decision raises "important questions about the criteria being applied in athlete selection".

"Today, I stand as India's No. 1-ranked dressage rider, Asia's No. 2-ranked rider, and World No.14 in the FEI 1* Rankings. I have also achieved the highest PSG scores among all Indian athletes this year. That is why being named a reserve for the upcoming Asian Games comes as a surprise and raises important questions about the criteria being applied in athlete selection," Agarwalla said in an Instagram story on Friday.

The Kolkata-born Agarwalla, who was part of the Indian team that won the Dressage gold in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and a bronze in the Individual Dressage, claimed he has filed a writ petition against the Ad-Hoc Committee for Equestrian Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association -- through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports -- in the Delhi High Court.