The Delhi High Court has upheld the selection of India’s Dressage team for the 2026 Asian Games, declining to exercise judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution to interfere with the decision-making domain of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI).
Dressage, an Olympic equestrian discipline, requires horse–rider combinations to execute prescribed movements in a defined arena, assessed on technical execution, precision, rhythm, and adherence to Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) standards.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna on Monday dismissed two writ petitions filed by riders Sudipti Hajela and Anush Agarwalla challenging the selection list dated June 16, 2026, issued by the EFI Ad-hoc Selection Committee. Under the impugned list, both petitioners were placed in the reserve category for the Indian contingent for the Asian Games scheduled in Japan.
The Court held that the selection exercise was conducted strictly in accordance with the notified Selection Criteria and the Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) framework, and did not suffer from arbitrariness, irrationality, perversity, or procedural illegality. It reiterated the settled doctrine of judicial restraint in sports-related adjudication, holding that courts cannot substitute their own views for that of expert bodies unless the decision is vitiated by mala fides, non-application of mind, or patent violation of the governing criteria.
Agarwalla contended that his MER computation was erroneous, arguing that his Prix St. Georges score from Hagen, Germany ought to have been considered in place of his score from Belgium. He submitted that inclusion of the German event score would have altered his cumulative percentage under the ranking methodology and secured him a place in the final squad. He also alleged bias and conflict of interest, stating that a member of the Selection Committee was involved in pending disputes with him, thereby vitiating the fairness of the selection process.
Hajela assailed the merit-ranking methodology, contending that the EFI ought to have first evaluated Team MERs before Individual MERs, and that deviation from this sequencing amounted to arbitrary application of criteria and vitiated the integrity of the selection process.
Rejecting both submissions, the High Court held that the EFI had correctly interpreted and applied the Selection Criteria, which mandated ranking based on the two best valid MER scores. It further held that where all three mandatory dressage tests were available within a single competition, selective reliance on partial scores from different events was impermissible under the governing selection framework.
On the allegation of bias, the Court observed that the petitioner had participated in the selection process without contemporaneously objecting to the composition of the Selection Committee, thereby amounting to waiver and acquiescence, and could not subsequently challenge the process after an adverse outcome.
The Court further noted that the decision-making process involved evaluation by expert bodies, including the Selection Committee and Ad-hoc Executive Committee, which independently assessed eligibility and MER performance before approving the final list. Finding no manifest arbitrariness, illegality, or violation of the Selection Criteria, the Court declined to interfere and dismissed both writ petitions.
The post Asian Games 2026: Delhi High Court upholds selection of Indian Dressage team appeared first on India Legal.