Equestrian Federation of India Row: Riders Challenge Passport Delays, Accuse Ad-Hoc Committee of Creating Unnecessary Hurdles

New Delhi: A conflict has erupted between the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc committee and riders over delays in issuing horse passports, leaving athletes, including juniors preparing for national qualifiers, uncertain about their participation. Competing claims over import documentation, horse ownership and the authority of former federation officials have further deepened the controversy.

As per athletes, around 50-60 horse passports, involving newly imported horses and horses born in India, have reportedly been pending for nearly three months. While the EFI's ad-hoc committee says it must investigate suspected irregularities before issuing the documents, affected riders argue that they should not be penalised for relying on paperwork issued through official channels.

Riders fear losing national qualifier opportunities

Senior Indian rider Ashish Limaye, who has represented the country at two Asian Games and Asian Championships in 2025, told myKhel that the federation initially allowed horses with pending passport applications to compete provisionally while the documentation was examined.

"We were told that if there was something wrong with the passports or documentation, the entries could be cancelled later for the Nationals," the rider said.

However, the rider alleged that the arrangement was subsequently withdrawn, putting athletes' participation at risk.

"Suddenly, Sandeep Dewan sir has said that no horse can compete if it has applied for a passport on a provisional basis. That is concerning because every single club in India is affected," the rider said.

The rider argued that young athletes could lose crucial qualification opportunities even if their passports were cleared after the scheduled competitions.

EFI alleges unauthorised NOCs and commercial licence trading

Lt Col (retired) Sandeep Dewan, member (Administration) of the EFI ad-hoc committee, has defended the decision to withhold the passports, citing suspected irregularities in the horse-import process.

He explained that the process requires applicants to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the federation, submit an affidavit declaring that the horse is intended for personal use, and secure the necessary import approvals, including from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry.

According to Dewan, some NOCs were allegedly issued without proper authorisation by former EFI official Col (retired) Jaiveer Singh. He also alleged irregularities involving former federation employee Nafe Singh.

Dewan said the matter had been referred to the relevant authorities, including the DGFT, for examination. He added that police complaints had been filed against Col (retired) Jaiveer Singh (general secretary) and a show-cause notice had been issued to Nafe Singh (secretary). The allegations against the former officials have not been independently established.

The EFI ad-hoc committee has also approached the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), seeking suspension of pending import-related approvals linked to the disputed NOCs and guidance on horses that have already been imported. The letter, accompanied by copies of the disputed NOCs, states that their validity remains under examination.

Dewan further alleged that import licences originally obtained by individuals for multiple horses were being sold or transferred to third parties for amounts ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per horse. He also raised concerns about possible customs-duty evasion and questioned why some horses were being ridden by children whose names did not appear on the original import documentation.

Explaining the committee's position, Dewan said: "Because if tomorrow we give them passports, then we become a party to this crime. We have brought it to the notice of the authorities. Now authorities have to decide."

The committee maintains that the disputed documentation must be examined and the status of the import licences clarified before the passports can be issued.

Riders question the validity of NOCs issued through official channels

The senior rider challenged the suggestion that athletes should bear the consequences if documents issued through the federation's administrative system are subsequently found to be unauthorised.

"These NOCs were given in 2024 and 2025, when Mr Jaiveer Singh and Mr Nafe Singh were running the office. Whether they were legal or illegal, we do not know. Nowhere on the website, or anywhere else, is it clearly stated what authority these officials had or did not have," the rider said.

The rider argued that athletes had relied on documents issued through official channels and were not necessarily in a position to determine whether the officials involved had the requisite authority.

Another rider, who doesn't want to be named, also questioned the apparent inconsistency in the treatment of Mr Jaiveer Singh, alleging that he had recently received a recommendation letter for a judgeship despite the current allegations concerning documents issued during his tenure. This claim, however, has not been independently verified.

The rider said the federation should provide written explanations identifying the specific documents it considers invalid and clarify why the applications have remained pending.

"I asked Sandeep sir why, if he believes the NOCs are wrong, the federation is not giving us anything in writing. Why are the passports being held for the last three months without any clear explanation, while the children are not being allowed to compete?" the rider said.

Riders claim documents submitted, emails unanswered

Limaye disputed the suggestion that applicants had failed to provide the required documentation. According to the Pune-based rider, who participated in Eventing discipline at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, the submissions included affidavits, EFI-issued NOCs, DGFT import licences, import clearances, quarantine certificates and proof of customs-duty payment.

"We have all the documents, from the affidavit submitted to the EFI and the NOC obtained from the federation to the import licence, quarantine certificate and duty-paid receipt. We have sent these documents to the EFI multiple times, but there has been no action or response," he said.

The rider added that an additional affidavit had been requested, accepting responsibility if questions were raised about the passports at a later stage.

"Two or three weeks ago, I received an email asking me to submit an affidavit stating that we would be held responsible if the passports were questioned later. I submitted it, but even after that, there has been no response and no passports," Limaye said.

The account differs from Dewan's position that applicants have not adequately clarified whose import licences were used and who owns the horses. The correspondence and records would need to be examined to establish what the federation received and whether any further documentation remains outstanding.

The rider also alleged that repeated emails from affected parties had gone unanswered and that calls to Dewan had not been returned. These claims have not been independently verified.

The rider further alleged that a coach had been pressured to submit a statement suggesting a financial transaction involving another horse owner in exchange for the release of a passport. According to the rider, the coach disputed the allegation and raised the matter with senior officials, including Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha.

Sanyogeeta Ashish Limaye disputes horse ownership allegations

Horse ownership has emerged as another point of contention, with Dewan questioning why some animals were being ridden by people whose names, he alleged, did not match those on the relevant import documentation.

Ashish Limaye's wife Sanyogeeta - who herself is a rider - has disputed the implication that its arrangements amount to the sale or misuse of import licences. Sanyogeeta maintains that purchase invoices, payment records, import clearances and duty-payment receipts are available to establish ownership. The documents are in the possession of myKhel.

Sanyogeeta has denied selling import licences or charging young riders to use its horses. It said Sanyogeeta's horses continued to be used by other riders after she gave birth on October 2 last year, allowing young athletes to train on experienced animals and improve their riding skills.

She maintains that an owner need not personally ride every horse in their stable and that allowing other riders to use the animals does not, by itself, establish that the horses or import licences were sold.

Riders seek provisional entries as national qualifiers approach

The affected riders maintain that they are not asking the federation to abandon its investigation, but to allow provisional participation until the documentation review is complete.

A Bengaluru-based riding club owner, while speaking to myKhel, warned that the ongoing uncertainty could discourage youngsters from taking up equestrian sport.

"The situation is getting worse. These moves will only discourage youngsters from taking up the sport. Equestrian is already an expensive sport, and the actions of those in the federation are only going to hurt the entire ecosystem," the club owner said.

While the senior rider reiterated that the request was to allow entries to remain provisional, with a clear condition that participation could be withdrawn if the documents were found to be invalid.

"Our only request was to keep the entries provisional. If the passports are found to be wrong, the federation can cancel the entries. But if the children are not allowed to compete now, even if their passports are cleared later, they will have missed the national qualifiers," the rider said.

The dispute remains unresolved, with the committee insisting that the documentation must be verified before passports can be issued, while riders argue that athletes should not lose competition opportunities before the review is completed.

The controversy comes as Indian equestrian sport faces a separate challenge, with the FEI set to suspend the EFI from December 1, 2026, over governance issues and the absence of fresh elections. The impending suspension adds to the uncertainty facing Indian equestrian sport, although it is separate from the individual horse-passport dispute.