The Delhi High Court recently reviewed the selection process for India’s Dressage team for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, identifying lapses in compliance with the Equestrian Federation of India’s (EFI) own criteria. Despite these findings, the court opted not to intervene in the selection process due to time constraints.
High Court Observations on Selection Process
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that EFI had not adhered to parts of its selection guidelines, specifically clauses 15(a), 15(b), and 8(f). These clauses outline the procedure for creating a list of potential candidates, known as “probables,” from which the final team is chosen. The EFI also failed to publish a Provisional Merit List of these probables as required.
Despite these breaches, the court recognized the logistical challenges of conducting additional selection rounds, given the July 15 deadline for finalizing the team. The judges emphasized that any interference could negatively impact India’s participation in the Dressage events at the Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
Petitioners and Court’s Decision
The court’s review arose from appeals by dressage riders Anush Agarwalla and Sudipti Hajela, who contested their exclusion from the team. A previous ruling by a single judge, Justice Mini Pushkarna, had dismissed their petitions, validating the EFI’s selection process as fair. However, the Division Bench found procedural lapses in EFI’s approach.
Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the EFI’s explanations for its procedural shortcuts, the court concluded that initiating a new selection process was impractical due to time constraints. Therefore, the court decided not to disrupt the current selection but issued a directive to EFI for strict adherence to selection criteria in future processes.
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Legal Representation
Representing Anush Agarwalla were Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra and a team of lawyers including Astha Sharma and Anju Thomas. Sudipti Hajela was represented by Senior Advocate Kirtiman Singh along with Kritika Gupta and Mohit Kumar Sharma. The EFI’s legal team included Tanmay Mehta and Kapil Modi among others. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma led the representation for the Union of India, while advocates Kumudavalli Seetharaman and Geetika Vyas appeared for the Indian Olympic Association.
The court’s decision underscores the importance of adhering to established criteria in sports selections and serves as a cautionary reminder for sports federations to maintain transparency and fairness.
