Pundir, the son of a former Military equestrian participant Gulab Singh, added throughout a press convention right here that the EFI hid essential element from him that Indian horses can not compete in China due to sure quarantine rules, which value him essential time in looking for an appropriate horse in Europe or elsewhere.
“The EFI officers had come to know in March final yr that Indian horses won’t be allowed to compete in China (due to quarantine points), however they didn’t share this data with me,” stated Pundir, who added that he was among the many shortlisted probables within the trials carried out “earlier than the Covid-19 outbreak”.
“With the intention to guarantee I do not compete overseas, they stored making issues troublesome by not serving to me procure a visa to journey to Europe moreover different issues,” he added.
“(By hiding this bit about China not permitting Indian horses), they (EFI officers) ensured that I couldn’t journey overseas in the hunt for a horse and practice in Europe for practically a yr. Their intention was to eradicate me from the Asian Video games choice course of,” alleged Pundir.
He stated that whereas the pre-COVID choice standards entailed qualifying in simply considered one of 5 trials, it was modified to qualifying in three out of 4 trials within the new choice course of set after the pandemic.
The Asian Video games had been scheduled in 2022 however had been postponed by a yr as a result of surge in COVID-19 instances in China. The EFI, accordingly, determined to revise its choice standards as a result of postponement. The Asian Video games are actually scheduled to begin on September 23.
“The EFI modified the choice standards for the second trials. As an alternative of 1 qualification in 5 trials within the pre-COVID trials, within the new standards a rider needed to qualify in three out of 4 trials. After I questioned the change in standards, they began concentrating on me,” alleged Pundir.
Pundir additionally stated he shifted to Lithuania in the hunt for a steed and to coach and compete with a view to attain the Asian Video games qualifying requirements set by EFI.
“However the three competitions the place I needed to compete and attain Asian Video games qualifying requirements had been like 2000km away from my coaching base. After I requested the EFI to provide me competitions nearer to my coaching base, the plea was turned down. I used to be pressured to journey to Belgium and Germany from Lithuania to compete within the occasions and attain Asiad qualifying requirements,” alleged Pundir.
“My horse could not take the lengthy and strenuous journeys and we couldn’t compete in a single competitors,” he added.
Nevertheless, EFI secretary-general Jaiveer Singh stated Pundir was given all of the help from the federation and that the rider knew Indian horses weren’t allowed in China (as a consequence of quarantine points).
“He may have utilised the time he wasted litigating towards EFI to search for a coaching base in Germany or France the place all his teammates had been coaching and competing to realize Asian Video games qualifying requirements,” stated Jaiveer.
“He then selected Lithuania as his coaching base.”
On why he was requested to participate in competitions 1000’s of kilometres away from his coaching base in Lithuania, Jaiveer stated, “The international coach chalks out the competitors schedule. EFI has no function to play in that, so he can not blame us that we despatched him to compete 2000km away.”
“There are 4 different Indian dressage gamers who selected France and Germany to coach, So why would we discriminate towards him when he too was on our probables’ checklist. Nonetheless, we allowed Pundir to compete in three competitions to realize Asian Video games qualifying requirements, however I consider he returned below-par performances in two occasions whereas within the third competitors, his horse turned lame,” added Jaiveer.
Pundir, nevertheless, hasn’t misplaced hope and stated he’ll transfer courtroom to get a “substitute entry” for the Asian Video games, which closes on September 16.
