Fresh off a historic medal victory in the Asian Games, Fouaad Mirza, who became the first Indian to secure a podium finish at an equestrian event after 36 years, cannot stop beaming.
“Going out there and getting a good result...that was a good feeling,” says the 26-year-old. He was a key contributor for the silver medal finish of the Indian equestrian team, which is sponsored by city-based Embassy Group.
Though disappointed not to have come home with golds in either event, Mr. Mirza said, “Our win is a proud moment for India.”
Interacting with mediapersons on Thursday, he stressed on the fact that it was support from corporates and the Embassy Group that aided the development of equestrian events. “A separate fund should be kept for organising equestrian events, like in the United Kingdom where lottery collections are used for the sport. This helps in encouraging people to take up the sport,” he said.
Jitu Virwani, chairman and managing director of the Embassy Group and Embassy International Riding School (EIRS), said the central government should fund equestrian events as it is an expensive sport. “With 40% customs duty on importing horses and other expenses, it is not within reach for many people... the army riders (Ashish Malik, Jitender Singh and Rakesh Kumar, who were a part of the team) had just three months of training. Imagine what they can accomplish if they had two years,” he said.
