Delhi High Court asks EFI to explain selection criteria adopted for Youth Asian Games

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has directed the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) to submit an affidavit within three weeks, detailing the selection criteria adopted to pick the Indian team for the upcoming Asian Youth Games even as one more athlete has knocked on the judiciary door questioning his exclusion.

The Youth Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Manama, Bahrain, from October 22 to 31.

The Court order came on a writ petition filed by show jumping athlete Vaasvi Khaitan, through her father Vedant Khaitan, challenging her exclusion from the list of eight probables named by the EFI.

The last date to send India's entries was August 31 and it is clear that Vaasvi won't get a chance to compete in Bahrain despite having competed extensively at the international level, including FEI events.

Rider Fateh Jahan Singh Dhaliwal, aged 16, has also approached the court, through his mother, seeking quashing of the list of selected athletes and requested "further directions to conduct the shortlisting of riders for the Asian Youth Games".

While hearing the Vaasvi matter on September 1, the Court said given that the names of Indian athletes for participation in the concerned event have already been sent to the International Federation, and considering that the deadline for submission of names has expired, it may no longer be possible for the petitioner to participate in the said event.

"Be that as it may, let an affidavit be filed by the EFI setting out the criteria adopted for selection of the athletes who have been selected to participate in the Asian Youth Games, Bahrain," said Justice Sachin Dutta.

"Let the affidavit also disclose the selection criteria to be adopted for future events. Let the same be filed within a period three weeks from today. Rejoinder thereto, if any, be filed within a period of two weeks thereafter." EFI had named Avik Bhatia, Arun Kumar Harshiyt, Jaiveer Varma, Bhoowan, Krishna Sahithi, Ranbir Singh Dhillon, Jaiveer Nagra and Shubh Chowdhari in the Indian squad for tha Games.

It is clear that the disputes within the EFI are creating chaos and confusion. Unless fresh elections are conducted, the athletes are bound to suffer and effective adminstration won't be possible.

"Biased" Observer's report ================== Colonel Rajesh Pattu, who has won medals at three Asian Games (1998, 2002, 2006) and was conferred with the Arjuna Award in the year 2003 has questioned EFI Observer S Y Quraishi's third report submitted to the High Court, claiming it to be "biased".

Quraishi had written that the endless bickering among the executive committee members of is eroding the goodwill of the EFI and had sought fresh elections.

The Delhi High Court had entrusted former Chief Election Commissioner Quraishi with the task of overseeing the functioning of EFI while responding to a petition from the Rajasthan Equestrian Association in November 2019.

The High Court on May 29, 2024 had revived the executive committee elected in November 2019 as an interim arrangement.

"Sir, you charge a fee to attend EFI meetings but right under your nose, individuals who are not EFI members not only attend meetings, but they also vote on Agendas. Just to give you an example, Lt Gen Rajender Dewan who was slated to attend the last AGM is not a member. Of course, you came as a glorified guest, saw the drama and chose to give a one-sided report," Pattu wrote.

"You appear concerned when the Executive Committee rightly suspended Col Jaiveer Singh as EFI Secretary General and asked the EC to seek the Court’s approval. But surprisingly, you had not shown similar alacrity when Col Jaiveer Singh sacked the entire Executive Committee and the Selection Committee, leading to massive confusion ahead of the Asian Games in 2023 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games." He further wrote, "You committed a massive error back in 2023 in allowing Life Members and Individual Members to take part in the voting process in the General Meeting. You have now amplified the blunder further by not mentioning it in your report. In fact, it will not be wrong to say that you have kept the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi in the dark." Colonel Pattu is currently training in Germany, gearing up for the 2026 Asian Games selection trials. PTI PTI AT AT KHS KHS