Equestrian Anish hopes to compete in higher levels soon before cracking Olympics code

Anish Kamath, who had a stellar Junior National Equestrian Championship, hopes to compete at the highest levels of the sport soon and eventually don the Indian colors in prestigious events.

Training at the Embassy International Riding School in Bengaluru, Anish sizzled in the Junior National Equestrian Championship, winning the gold medal in the individual category in Show Jumping and winning a team gold medal in both Show Jumping and Dressage events. He also won the best rider award in the junior category with Shlok Jhunjhunwala.

Speaking about his participation at the Junior National Equestrian Championship, Anish, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, said:

"At JNEC, I participated in both the Show Jumping and Dressage events. The height of our jumping event was 105 cms and the dressage category was pre-novice. I won the gold medal with my horse Amber Beach, recording a fastest time of 47.70 seconds."

Anish hopes to take JNEC confidence further

Anish hopes a good start at the JNEC will propel him to achieve greater glory as the stepping stone to success has been a good one.

"It was a wonderful experience winning the Junior Nationals in the Junior category. It is just a stepping stone for the various competitions ahead. It has boosted my confidence in the sport and I hope it will help me proceed to the next level," he said.

The Bengaluru-based equestrian isn't looking too far ahead. While his long-term goal is to represent India at the Olympics and the Asian Games, Anish is looking to hone his skills perfectly before he tries to represent the country.

"My goal in is to represent India on the international stage - like at the Asian Games and the Olympics - and win a medal. But for the moment, it is to improve my riding skills and compete at higher levels of Show Jumping and Dressage," he added.

The young equestrain goes through the rigors at the Embassy International Riding School in Bengaluru and his training is overseen by Silva Storai, the director of EIRS.

Silva has been running the school for more than two decades, churning out champions in the sport.

Having taken to the sport at the tender age of 13, Silva Storai has seen the sport grow manifold in her long and illustrious career.

"It is fascinating the way young riders are taking up equestrian and at the same time, it is extremely delightful to see young equestrians showing interest in an expensive sport like this. Equestrian is a very demanding sport if one wants to compete and become a professional later. Young kids are relocating from all over the country to utilize ERIS' facilities for the sport. After Fouad Mirza’s performance, parents and riders are hopeful and optimistic for the sport’s road ahead," Silva opined.