Authority: High Court of Delhi

Order Date: 06 July 2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: Appellants – Anush Agarwalla (LPA 458/2026) and Sudipti Hajela (LPA 459/2026); Respondents – Ad‑Hoc Committee for Governance of Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) and associated officials.
  • Nature of Proceeding: Appeals against the Single Judge’s judgment (dated 29 June 2026) which dismissed writ petitions challenging the EFI’s Selection List for the Dressage discipline of the 20th Asian Games (19 Sep‑4 Oct 2026).
  • Background: EFI, recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, IOA and FEI, issued Selection Criteria Version 4.0 on 12 Feb 2026 governing qualification for Asian Games Dressage. Criteria required participation in three tests (PSG, Intermediate‑I, Intermediate‑I Freestyle), a minimum PSG score of 66 % for Team MER, and higher standards for Individual MER. Riders could submit up to three qualifying competitions; the best two MER results determined merit.
  • Amendment: On 17 Apr 2026 EFI issued Amendment No. 1, increasing permissible qualifying competitions from three to four and mandating at least one MER within the “Peak‑window” (17 Apr‑15 Jun 2026). Clause 8(d) was revised to make participation in all three tests mandatory.
  • Selection List: On 16 Jun 2026 the Ad‑Hoc Committee published a Selection List of six riders. Four were selected for the Asian Games; Anush Agarwalla (Reserve No. 1) and Sudipti Hajela (Reserve No. 2) were placed on the reserve list. The definitive entries were uploaded to the FEI website on 19 Jun 2026 at 09:27 AM and communicated to the IOA at 16:37 PM, ahead of the permissible submission deadline of 01 Jul 2026 (extended to 15 Jul 2026).
  • Appellants’ Submissions: Alleged lack of transparency, non‑publication of the mandatory Provisional Merit List, failure to conduct the competitions mandated by Clause 15(b), conflict of interest in the Selection Committee (Kapil Modi), and improper application of the 7‑day intimation rule.
  • EFI’s Submissions: Asserted compliance with the Selection Criteria, highlighted that Individual MERs outrank Team MERs, explained that the 7‑day rule was complied with, and argued that Clause 15(b) only required fitness‑maintaining competitions, not a fresh merit‑determining event.
  • Other Submissions: Ministry of Youth Affairs offered assistance via an independent expert; IOA stated it has no authority over selection; selected riders emphasized the amendment’s legitimacy and the impracticality of additional competitions after the peak‑window closed.

Court’s Reasoning

  • The court limited its review to whether the Selection List was prepared in conformity with the published Selection Criteria; it did not assess the merits of individual riders.
  • It observed that Clause 15(b) provides for competitions to maintain fitness and form, not a mandatory re‑ranking exercise; therefore, EFI’s omission of such competitions did not render the list illegal.
  • The court noted non‑compliance with Clause 8(f) (absence of a Provisional Merit List) and the premature upload of definitive entries, but held these procedural lapses did not warrant setting aside the list given the limited time before the 15 Jul 2026 deadline.
  • The court affirmed that the order of merit was correctly determined using the best two valid MER results and aggregate scores, citing the rankings of Hriday Chheda over Anush Agarwalla and the placement of Sudipti Hajela based on cumulative Team MER scores.
  • It rejected the appellants’ arguments concerning selective use of PSG scores and the 7‑day rule, finding that Anush Agarwalla did not participate in all three tests at CDI Hagen and therefore could not claim a valid MER from that event.
  • The court emphasized that EFI had the power to amend criteria under Clause 15(f) but had not invoked it to dispense with the procedural requirements of Clauses 15(a) and 15(b).

Final Outcome

  • The appeals are dismissed without interference with the Impugned Judgment.
  • EFI is directed to strictly comply with the Selection Criteria in all future selections.
  • The appeals, along with any pending applications, stand disposed of.

Topics: Selection Criteria, Sport Governance, Asian Games