Equestrian
After Manika Batra, equestrian Anush Agarwalla questions exclusion from Asian Games squad
Anush Agarwalla was named among the reserves as Equestrian Federation of India named the Indian squad for 2026 Asian Games.
Anush Agarwalla. (Photo Credit: EFI)
A day after Manika Batra raised questions about her exclusion from the Indian table tennis team for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, equestrian Anush Agarwalla followed the suit on Friday.
Agarwalla, who had clinched an individual dressage bronze and a historic team dressage gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years back, was named among the reserves much like Batra as the Equestrian Federation of India announced the Indian contingent.
"Today, I stand as India's No. 1 ranked dressage rider, Asia's No. 2 ranked rider, and World No. 14 in the FEI 1* Rankings. I have also achieved the highest PSG scores among all Indian athletes this year. That is why being named a reserve for the upcoming Asian Games comes as a surprise and raises important questions about the criteria being applied in athlete selection," Agarwalla wrote in a social media post.
The 26-year-old from Kolkata urged for transparency in the selection process.
"While I respect the selection process and the athletes chosen to represent India, I believe every athlete deserves clarity on how such decisions are made, particularly when current rankings, international performances and proven results appear to suggest otherwise," he wrote.
Agarwalla, who had earned the distinction of becoming the first dressage rider to compete at the Olympics during the Paris Games two years ago, revealed that he is now exploring legal remedies.
"That while my legal team and I explore legal remedies to make the system transparent and accountable not just for me but for all the athletes representing India to the best of their abilities, I respectfully request the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon'ble Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the Sports Authority of India, and the concerned authorities to kindly review this decision and ensure that merit, transparency and sporting excellence remain at the heart of athlete selection."