Mandaviya Felicitates Medal Winners of FEI Asian Equestrian Championship 2025

India’s impressive campaign was led by Ashish Limaye, who clinched a historic individual gold in Eventing—a rare achievement for India in the sport—along with a team silver.

 

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, felicitated India’s Eventing and Dressage teams on Friday for their remarkable performance at the FEI Asian Equestrian Championship 2025 held in Pattaya, Thailand. The six-member contingent returned with an unprecedented five medals, marking one of India’s most successful outings in a continental equestrian event.

Medal-Winning Performances

India’s impressive campaign was led by Ashish Limaye, who clinched a historic individual gold in Eventing—a rare achievement for India in the sport—along with a team silver. In Dressage, Shruti Vora, aged 54, delivered an exceptional performance, securing three silver medals: two in individual categories and one in the team event. Her consistency and composure against Asia’s top-ranked riders earned widespread praise.

The full medal-winning squad included:

• Eventing: Ashish Limaye, Shashank Singh Kataria, Shashank Kanmuri

• Dressage: Shruti Vora, Divyakriti Singh, Gaurav Pundir

Their combined effort showcased India’s growing depth and competitiveness in equestrian sport.

Government’s Vision for Equestrian Growth

During the felicitation ceremony, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted India’s growing footprint in sporting disciplines previously dominated by other countries. He emphasized that India’s sporting ecosystem has undergone transformative changes over the past decade, driven by increased government support, athlete-centric funding, and infrastructure upgrades.

“This is not the India of 10 years back. We will remove every hurdle between an athlete and their medal. Our aim is to build an equestrian-friendly sports ecosystem so athletes don’t need to train abroad,” he said.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing India’s first equine quarantine centre within a year, a long-awaited facility essential for the international movement of horses. This will significantly reduce logistical challenges for Indian equestrians competing abroad and align India with global equestrian infrastructure standards.

Athlete Response and Future Outlook

Veteran dressage rider Shruti Vora appreciated the Minister’s proactive approach and responsiveness to athlete concerns. She highlighted his commitment to developing an equine disease-free zone, a crucial requirement for safe horse transport and international event clearance.

Vora underscored that such systemic improvements would allow Indian equestrians to train, qualify, and compete within India, reducing dependency on foreign training centres and making the sport more accessible to the wider equestrian community.

With rising government support, planned infrastructure upgrades, and renewed confidence among riders, the 2025 medal success is being viewed as a turning point for Indian equestrian sports.