New Delhi, May 29 (IANS): In a huge victory for the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), the Divisional Bench of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed the appointment of the Ad-hoc Administrative Committee (AAC) and gave back control of the sports body to the existing panel.

The Delhi High Court, while hearing a plea by the Rajasthan Equestrian Association (REA) on May 24, had ordered the appointment of an ad-hoc panel under Justice Nazmi Wajiri to run the affairs of the EFI.

The federation, as an autonomous body, had challenged the decision and got a decision in its favour.

"We had faith in the judiciary. We thank the court for hearing our concerns and delivering justice in this case. This is a crucial Olympic year and we want to stay focused on providing the best possible support to our athletes. This decision will help us in these endeavours of ours," said Col Jaiveer Singh, who will now continue as Secretary General of the EFI.

"We have done nothing wrong. The allegations of impropriety were baseless. We have always worked for the betterment of sport and our athletes and will continue to do so. The exemptions we got from the Sports Ministry were a validation of our intent and the multiple requirements and needs of the sport. We were working in tandem with the government and will continue to do so," Jaiveer added.

The Court brought back the 20-member Executive Committee that had come into existence in the 2019 elections.