Ritika Dahiya named in Indian team for International Tent Pegging Championship

Indian Army’s captain Ritika Dahiya was on Monday named in the country’s three-member equestrian team that will compete in the women’s International Tent Pegging Championship to be held in Wadi Rum, Jordan from September 22 to 24.

The Equestrian Federation of India (FEI) named New Delhi’s Priyanka Bhardwaj and Uttar Pradesh’s Nanda Agrawal as the other members of the team.

The 21-year-old Khushi Singh from New Delhi has also been included in the squad as a reserve player.

This will be India’s maiden appearance in the Grand Prix event, which is exclusively conducted for women by the International Tent Pegging Federation.

Top riders from 12 countries, including Oman, Russia, UK, Kazakhstan, Norway, South Africa and Pakistan, will compete in the event.

“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,” said Colonel Jaiveer Singh, EFI Secretary General, in a release.

“And then based on the order of merit in the camp, these four players have been selected.”

The team will be coached by Colonel Satinder Singh Solanki (retd), who has previously guided the Indian team to gold medal triumphs as a coach in multiple international tent pegging events in countries such as South Africa and Egypt.

The selected riders are currently training at Delhi Cantonment as part of the coaching camp and will leave for Jordan on Tuesday.