India To Host World Cup Qualifiers For Equestrian Tent Pegging

Equestrian Federation of India, in association with Equiwings Sports, will organise the World Cup Qualifiers for Equestrian Tent Pegging scheduled to be held in Greater Noida from March 11-14. A total of seven countries including Russia, USA, Belarus, India, Pakistan, Sudan, and Bahrain will be competing with each other at the World Cup Qualifiers. Out of these seven teams, the top two will qualify for the World Cup which is going to be held in South Africa in 2023.

World Cup Qualifiers will be a part of The Penta Grand 2021; which also includes the National Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship, the Half Million Cup and the Noida Horse Show, to be held at the Gautam Buddha University Sports Stadium, Greater Noida from March 3-14.

A total of 50+ International Riders, 250+ Indian Riders and more than 300 horses will participate at The Penta Grand 2021.

Speaking on the announcement, Ahmad Afsar, the Organising Secretary of The Championship, said: "EFI and Equiwings Sports take pride in organising International, Asian & World Equestrian Championships in India. India has been the front runner in the promotion and development of Equestrian Tent Pegging around the world. Equiwings Sports started 11 years ago with a distinct objective to increase literacy and evolve equestrian sports culture in the country and ensure that this sport (Tent Pegging) gets an Olympic recognition. It is so overwhelming to see that our initiative is bringing the change and we are thrilled to bring ITPF World Cup Qualifiers for Equestrian Tent Pegging for the first time in India."

Col Jaiveer Singh, Secretary-General, Equestrian Federation of India said: "During this tough sporting year (2020-21), the EFI has successfully conducted all National Championships for Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping and Endurance. Being a no-contact sport helped the sport to continue. Tent Pegging is one of the most thrilling and exciting sport of Equestrian. Efforts are being made by the federation (EFI) through a constant dialogue with Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF) to get Tent Pegging re-included in the Asian Games."

Tent Pegging is a sport that features a mounted horseman riding at a gallop and uses a sword or a lance to pierce pickup and carry away a small ground target symbolic of a tent peg. Tent pegging was included as an official sport by the Olympic Council of Asia in 1982 and is an International schedule game.