Delhi High Court Refuses to Intervene in Asian Games Equestrian Team Selection

The Delhi High Court refused to intervene in the selection process of the Indian equestrian (dressage) team for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan. The court ruled that the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) acted in accordance with the established selection criteria and that the process was conducted fairly. In the decision delivered by Justice Mini Pushkarna, the court explicitly stated that the selection processes did not contain any irrational, arbitrary, or illogical aspects. The order emphasized that courts cannot substitute their own views for the decisions of expert panels in matters such as athlete selection for international sporting events. In this context, the objections were dismissed, determining that the EFI adhered to its announced selection criteria.

The lawsuits in question were filed by national equestrians Sudipti Hajela and Anush Agarwalla. Both equestrians were placed in the reserve bench and not included in the main team on the dressage discipline selection list announced by the EFI Ad-hoc Committee on 16 June 2026. Agarwalla and Hajela objected to the selection list through their petitions submitted to the court, demanding to be included in the main team roster. The two equestrians' claims were based on the assertion that the methods applied and the score calculations in the selection process were flawed. The court, after examining both claims in detail, found them insufficient and unjustified.

Anush Agarwalla shaped his objection by claiming that the federation miscalculated the Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) score. Agarwalla argued that it was a grave error to disregard his Prix St. Georges (PSG) score obtained at a competition held in Hagen, Germany. Furthermore, he claimed that he was subjected to bias because of an ongoing lawsuit between him and his family and one of the members of the Selection Committee. The court, however, ruled that according to the rules, equestrians participating in competitions abroad can only combine their scores from different events when the three mandatory dressage tests are not held concurrently. Since all three tests were present in the Belgian competition where Agarwalla participated, separately considering the PSG score from Germany was found to be against the rules, and the bias claim was also dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

On the other hand, Sudipti Hajela filed a lawsuit questioning the method followed by the federation while creating the merit ranking. According to Hajela's argument, when ranking the equestrians, the team MER scores should have been evaluated first, followed by the individual scores. The court rejected this interpretation, deciding that the EFI applied the ranking criteria correctly. In its decision, the court stated that the merit list was prepared based on the highest total percentage obtained from the best two valid MER scores, and that no distinction was made between team scores and individual scores. Additionally, it was explicitly stated that within the scope of the selection criteria, a naturally higher degree of merit is accorded to equestrians demonstrating individual MER success rather than solely those with team MER achievements.

In the end, the court recorded that the Selection Committee and the Ad-hoc Executive Committee conducted the process meticulously. It was emphasized that the aforementioned committees independently and thoroughly evaluated the performances and achievements of all eligible horse-rider combinations. It was determined that as a result of the deliberations, the list was decided upon and approved unanimously without any objections or disagreements. In light of all these reasons, the Delhi High Court comprehensively dismissed the lawsuits filed by both athletes. With this decision, the selection list determined by the Indian equestrian team for the dressage competitions at the 2026 Asian Games will remain fully valid as is, and will proceed without any changes.