EFI NOCs to riders without trials comes under scrutiny
The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) has come under scrutiny for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to four riders for participation in international competitions without conducting any selection trials, a move that has also raised conflict-of-interest concerns. Documents accessed by PTI show that EFI issued NOCs on January 2, 2026, certifying four officers of 61 Cavalry as “active equestrian athletes” and permitting them to compete in international events in Europe under the aegis of the FEI.
The riders cleared for overseas participation include Lt Col D Apurva, Maj Anant Rajpurohit, Maj Yashdeep Ahlawat and Capt Ahaan Kumar. The NOC letter, signed by EFI Vice President (Technical) and acting President Col Jagat Singh (Retd), states that the federation has “no objection” to the officers representing Indian or Indian teams in international competitions in Europe.
According to EFI Secretary General Col Jaiveer Singh, the clearance was granted without any trials or transparent selection process, despite EFI having a Draft Selection Criteria dated October 11, 2023, which mandates objective assessment of athletes before international representation. The issue has been further complicated by the inclusion of Maj Yashdeep Ahlawat, who is the son of EFI Executive Committee member Maj General (Retd) Deep Ahlawat, triggering allegations of conflict of interest.
The conflict-of-interest document of world governing body FEI states that an elected official’s close relative should not benefit from discretionary decisions taken by the federation, particularly in matters related to selection and representation. Col Jaiveer Singh expressed strong reservations over the manner in which the NOCs were issued, saying that the move undermines governance norms in Indian equestrian sport.
“Issuing NOCs for international competitions without holding trials and without following laid-down selection criteria sets a completely wrong precedent. It opens the system to allegations of favouritism and damages the credibility of the federation,” Col Jaiveer Singh told PTI. He added that allowing a rider to benefit from such a process when a close family member is part of the federation’s decision-making body only deepens the perception of impropriety.
“Conflict of interest provisions exist to protect the sport and the institution. When these safeguards are ignored, it erodes trust among athletes and stakeholders,” he said. Singh also claimed that he has been sidelined from the day to day affairs of the EFI by the Executive Committee despite the High Court reinstating him as Secretary General. (PTI )
