India’s Equestrian Squad at Asian Games 2023: Full Team, Schedule, Medal Chances

India boasts a storied history in equestrian sports at the Asian Games. In the inaugural edition of the Asian Games' equestrian events in 1982, India emerged as the leading nation, setting the stage for an enduring legacy.

There are a total of 19 competing nations at this year's event. India's skilled riders will be participating in three main events: show jumping, eventing, and dressage, both as individuals and as part of the team competition. Expectations are particularly high for the eventing riders in this edition of the games, despite the freshness of the squad compared to previous editions. However, the journey leading up to the Asian Games has not been without hurdles, as the Equestrian contingent faced setbacks due to a shortage of funds and coaching disruptions.

Indian Equestrian Squad at Asian Games 2023

Dressage

Individual: Hriday Chheda (Emerald), Divyakirti Singh (Adrenalin Firfod), Sudipti Hajela (Chinski)

Team: Anush Agarwalla, Hriday Chheda, Divyakirti Singh, Sudipti Hejala

Eventing

Individual: Ashish Limaye, Raju Singh Bhadoriya, Apoorva Dabade, Vikas Kumar

Team: Ashish Limaye, Raju Singh Bhadoriya, Apoorva Dabade, Vikas Kumar

Show jumping

Individual: Kirat Singh Nagra, Tejas Dhingra, Yash Nensee

Team: Kirat Singh, Tejas Dhingra, Yash Nensee

Equestrian Schedule at Asian Games 2023

26/9/2023 Tuesday

08:00-12:00- Dressage-Team Competition, Individual Qualification

14:00-17:00- Dressage-Team Competition, Individual Qualification

27/9/2023 Wednesday

08:00-12:00- Dressage- Individual qualification for final

14:00-17:00- Dressage- Individual qualification for final

28/9/2023 Thursday

14:00–16:30- Dressage-Individual Final

30/9/2023 Saturday

08:00–12:00- Eventing-Dressage

2/10/2023 Monday

09:30-10:30- Eventing-Jumping

4/10/2023 Wednesday

9:00-12:00- Jumping-1st round, Team Competition &Individual Qualifier

14:00-17:00- Jumping-2nd round, Team Competition &Individual Qualifier

6/10/2023 Friday

9:00-11:00- Jumping-1st competition, Individual Final

15:00-17:00- Jumping-2nd competition, Individual Final

Medal Chances in Equestrian at Asian Games 2023

Divyakirti Singh | Horse- Adrenalin Firfod | Individual and Team Dressage | Asian Rank- 1

This year, India is set to make its mark in Dressage events, with Divyakriti taking the reins aboard Adrenalin Firfod. Divyakriti's participation promises to be a highlight of the event, given her impressive global ranking at No. 14 and her status as Asia's No. 1 dressage rider, according to the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

In the team competition, Divyakriti will be joined by a talented ensemble comprising Anush Agarwalla from Kolkata, Sudipti Hajela from Indore, and Pune's Hriday Cheda. Notably, the team's aggregate scores are on par with or even exceed the silver and gold-winning scores from the last three Asian Games held in 2018, 2014, and 2010. With such outstanding performances, India can confidently anticipate securing at least two medals in the dressage event.

However, the path to victory will not be without its challenges. In the team dressage category, India will face formidable competition from South Korean, Japanese, and Thai riders, who have previously won champion titles. Similarly, in the individual event, past winners from Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea will pose stiff competition.

Anush Agarwalla | Horse- Loro Piano | Individual and Team Dressage

Aggarwalla's notable participation took place at the 2022 World Equestrian Games, partnering with Shruti Vora, they together marked a historic moment by representing India at the Dressage World Championships.

Aggarwalla earned the distinction of becoming the first Indian ever to qualify for the FEI World Championship in Dressage, which took place in Denmark. Remarkably, his equestrian journey began at the tender age of three, laying the foundation for his remarkable career. Assessing his recent performances, Aggarwalla emerges as a strong contender with a genuine shot at securing a medal in the upcoming competition.

Performance at the 2018 Asian Games

At the previous edition of the Asian Games, India secured two silver medals. The individual eventing event saw the outstanding performance of Fouaad Mirza, who claimed a silver medal for India. Additionally, in the team eventing category, a quartet comprising Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik, Jitender Singh, and the remarkable Fouaad Mirza finished in the second position on the podium, earning another silver medal for the nation.

However, it's worth noting that Fouaad Mirza, who was the standout talent of the squad at the last edition, is notably absent from this year's lineup.

India at Asian Games: Equestrian Records

India has won a total of 12 medals at the asian games, which comprises of 3 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. All 3 gold medals came in the inaugural edition held in New Delhi.

Gold:

Raghubir Singh (Individual eventing),

Raghubir Singh, Ghulam Mohammed Khan (Team eventing)

Rupinder Singh Brar (Individual tent pegging)

Silver:

Ghulam Mohammed Khan (Individual eventing, 1982)

Fouaad Mirza (Indian eventing, 2018)

Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik, Jitender Singh, Fouaad Mirza (Team eventing, 2018)

Bronze:

Prahlad Singh (Individual eventing, 1982)

Jitendarjit Singh Ahluwalia, Ghulam Mohammed Khan, Raghubir Singh (Team dressage, 1986)

Ghulam Mohammed Khan, Adhiraj Singh, Raghubir Singh, Ishwar Singh (Team eventing, 1986)

Imtiaz Anees, Amlokjit Singh, Rajesh Pattu, Palwinder Singh(Team eventing, 1998)

Indrajit Lamba, Bhagirath Singh, Rajesh Pattu, Deep Kumar Ahlawat (Team eventing, 2002)

Bhagirath Singh, Deep Kumar Ahlawat, Palwinder Singh, Rajesh Pattu