Asian Games: Who are the Equestrian Dressage Team who won gold for India after 41 years?

India on Tuesday created history as they won the gold medal in Equestrian at the ongoing Asian Games after 41 long years. This is India's first gold medal win in the event at the continental multi-sport competition. The podium finish was secured by the Indian Equestrian Dressage Team comprising Sudipti Hajela, Divyakriti Singh, Hriday Chheda, and Anush Agarwalla. With this, India's medal tally has risen to three gold medals, four silver, and seven bronze medals. 

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3 things you need to know

• The last time India won an Asian Games gold medal in Equestrian was back in 1982
• India sent a total of 655 athletes to participate in 40 sporting disciplines at the Asiads
• India are currently fifth in the medal tally with a total of 14 medals

Asian Games: Know the champion Equestrian team

Sudipti Hajela was born on May 10, 2002, in Indore, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. She began her equestrian career at the young age of six as a summer hobby, which she quickly transformed into a career. At the National Championships, she took home three gold, one silver, and one bronze medals. She won her first international medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou with a gold. 

Divyakriti Singh, a 23-year-old international dressage rider, has competed across the nation and abroad, including many international championships in Europe. She graduated from Mayo College Girls School, where she served as the equestrian captain. She attended Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, where she participated in equestrian programs. The Junior National Polo Championship and Junior National Equestrian Championship medal wins are her biggest achievements to date. Divyakriti's triumph at the Asian Games in Hangzhou marked her maiden podium result at an international event.

Anush Agarwalla, who was born on November 23, 1999 in Kolkata, India, experienced riding a horse for the first time when he was 3 years old and his parents took him to The Tollygunge Club. His score of 67.5% on Sir Caramello OLD in April 2022 at CDI Hagen earned him a spot at the World Equestrian Championships, which was hosted in Herning, Denmark. This made him the first Indian to ever qualify for the World Dressage Championships, and at 22 years old, he was also the youngest competitor at the World Games in Dressage that year.

Hriday Chheda may be said to have spent the majority of his life riding horses, beginning at the age of 6. Since then, he has routinely trained in various locations across the nation. He has routinely trained in Europe over the past ten years with coaches including Hannes Baumgart, Johan Zagers, and Emma Kanerva, and in 2017 he shared a base with British Olympian Emile Faurie for a whole year. Chheda's first significant accomplishment on the world scene is the Asiad gold he won with the dressage team.