The Women's International Tent Pegging Championship will take place from September 22 to September 24 in Wadi Rum, Jordan. An Indian team of four riders has been selected to compete by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI).
India will be taking part in the Grand Prix tournament, which is held by the International Tent Pegging Federation and is only open to female athletes, for the first time.
Captain Ritika Dahiya of Haryana, along with Priyanka Bhardwaj of New Delhi, and Nanda Agrawal of Uttar Pradesh, will represent the country. She took part in tent pegging as the first female officer in the Indian Army.
The Indian team also includes a reserve player from New Delhi named Khushi Singh, who is 21 years old.
“We are committed to provide equal opportunities to each deserving athlete. With a transparent approach to select the best player to represent India, EFI had invited interested players from across the country to participate in a week-long coaching camp-cum-selection trials at the Stallion Riding Club in Delhi Cantt. And then based on the order of merit in the camp, these four players have been selected,” said Jaiveer Singh, secretary-general, EFI.
“We are delighted to announce an Indian team in this prestigious championship for the first time. It’s a great opportunity for women players to showcase their skills at the global stage. These are four strong players who have proved their abilities during the selection trials and I’m confident that they will give their best to win the championship. I wish them the best luck,” he added.
Satinder Singh Solanki, who has previously led the Indian team to gold medal victories in numerous international tent pegging competitions in nations like South Africa and Egypt, will serve as the team's coach.
The chosen riders have been practising at Delhi Cantt as part of the coaching camp, and on Tuesday, they will go to Jordan.
The event will feature top riders from 12 nations, including the hosts Jordan and Oman, Russia, the UK, Kazakhstan, Norway, South Africa, and Pakistan.
