New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS): The third round of trials for selecting the Indian equestrian team (showjumping) for the 19th Asian Games will be held here from January 12-16 at the Amateur Riders Club at Mahalakshmi racecourse, here.

Athletes aged 16 and above will be eligible to participate in the trials.

Organised by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), athletes from across Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata along with host city Mumbai, will be taking part in the trials which will have two rounds for teams and individuals to qualify. The second round of trials took place in Dec 2021.

ARC president Shyam Mehta said, "ARC adheres to strict Covid-19 protocols and guidelines issued by the authorities and governments for the safety of the players and organizers. Considering the importance of the Asian Games trials being national-level competitions, in addition to the efforts of the equestrian athletes, hosting this was necessary. We hope to see the competition in the third round as this will bring in the best from across the country, who will further represent India at the Asian Games this year."

EFI secretary-general Col Jaiveer Singh said, "Happy to see that riders are working hard for upcoming Asian Games. The first two trials witnessed fierce competition and five riders have already secured MERs. We are looking forward to the third selection trial scheduled to be held in Mumbai from 12th January onwards and confident that all participants will give their best".

ARC has also assured the authorities that all standard operating procedures and social distancing norms will be adhered to while hosting the close door event.

All participants have been instructed to comply with the Covid 19 protocol for equestrian training and events issued by the EFI. It is compulsory for all riders, horse owners to maintain social distance, wear masks, and use hand sanitizers.

Categories

(a) Show Jumping 1.40 m over two rounds for team qualification

(b) Show Jumping 1.50 m over two rounds for individual qualification