Delhi High Court Seeks IOA CEO's Presence in Asian Games Equestrian Selection Row

The Delhi High Court has directed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), or another senior official if the CEO is unavailable, to appear before it in connection with an ongoing dispute over the selection of India's equestrian dressage team for the 2026 Asian Games. The Court is attempting to resolve disagreements that have stalled the selection process.

A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing appeals filed by riders Anush Agarwalla and Sudipti Hajela, who challenged the process adopted for preparing the national team.

During the hearing, the Union Government suggested an independent reassessment of the rankings of the six shortlisted riders with assistance from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the IOA. The Centre explained that conducting fresh selection trials before the relevant deadline was impractical because the riders and horses are currently based in different countries, making travel and quarantine arrangements difficult.

While the riders accepted the proposal, the Ad-hoc Committee managing the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) declined, choosing instead to defend the existing selection process before the Court.

The Bench also questioned the legal authority of the EFI Ad-hoc Committee to continue functioning after the expiry of its reported three-month tenure on June 27, 2026, and sought an explanation.

Emphasising the need for a practical solution in the larger interest of India's Asian Games preparations, the Court listed the matter for further hearing on July 3, 2026.