Indian Equestrian team bags historic gold in dressage in 41 years at Asian Games 2023

India created history on Tuesday, September 26, with their first-ever gold medal in the team dressage event of equestrian at the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. The pair of riders Divyakriti Singh, Hriday Chheda, and Anush Agarwalla scored 209.205 points to win India's first gold in the sporting discipline in 41 years.

Divyakriti opened the ride with her horse Adrenalin Firfod to amass 68.176 points, followed by Hriday Chheda bettering the score with 69.941 while riding on Chemxpro Emerald. Anush Agarwalla accelerated the tally by producing the best show among the Indians with 71.088 points while riding on the horse named Etro.

Sudupti Hajela, the fourth member of the Indian equestrian squad, had a decent show with 66.706 points. India defeated the powerhouses of equestrians in Asia like China, Hong Kong, and Japan. China finished in second place with a total points of 204.882.

There are 19 nations participating across categories in the Asian Games equestrian sport. The Individual rounds for Equestrian Sports will be held in the upcoming days.

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What is India's history in equestrian at Asian Games 2023?

India made its first appearance at the Asian Games when the country hosted its second quadrennial event in 1982. India was the leading nation in the horse-riding event in its very first shot at the Asian Games.

The likes of Raghubir Singh, Ghulam Mohammed Khan, and Prahlad Singh returned with gold medals in various individual events. Raghubir and Mohammed combined to clinch another gold in the team event.

From that point on, India has accounted for a total of 15 medals at the Asian Games - four golds, four silvers, and seven bronzes. The Indian team comprising Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik, Jitender Singh, and Fouaad Mirza bagged silver in the last edition of the continental showpiece held in Jakarta. Mirza also accounted for a silver in the individual event.