Equestrian-India federation suspended by FEI amid governance crisis

BENGALURU, Oct 16 - The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said on Friday it would suspend the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) from December 1, barring Indian riders and officials from international competitions amid a prolonged governance crisis.

The suspension also prevents India from hosting FEI-sanctioned events and comes as the country seeks to establish itself as a major sporting destination while pursuing a bid for the 2036 Olympics.

An FEI spokesperson told Reuters that the EFI would not be allowed to attend or be represented at meetings of FEI bodies during the suspension.

"The situation will be reviewed once elections for the Executive Committee of the Equestrian Federation of India have been held and the results evaluated by the FEI," the spokesperson said.

EFI members would also be barred from international events organised by the FEI or other national federations, whether competing under the Indian federation's flag or the FEI flag, the spokesperson added.

Reuters has contacted the EFI for comment.

The suspension follows years of governance disputes within the EFI.

In February 2026, the Delhi High Court dissolved the federation's executive committee, whose elected tenure had expired in September 2023 but had continued in office under interim court orders to avoid disruption ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The court directed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to appoint an ad-hoc committee to oversee the sport and conduct fresh elections under India's new National Sports Governance Act.

The court ruled there was no justification for an elected body whose term had expired to continue in office and ordered a transition to a new administration under a restructured constitution.

Those elections are yet to be held while uncertainty has continued under the ad-hoc committee.

Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court, while upholding a contested selection decision, flagged a lack of clarity in the ad-hoc committee's athlete selection process and stressed the need for greater transparency and consistency in future selections.

From December 1, Indian athletes, officials, trainers and horses will be barred from FEI-sanctioned competitions and events organised by other national federations.

The suspension further isolates a sport that delivered India a team dressage gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. REUTERS