Surya Aditya shines as India bag silver at Asian Youth Equestrian

An excellent effort by Surya Aditya helped India secure a silver medal in Round 1 of the Asian Equestrian Federation Cup - Youth (AEF Cup CSIY-B) here on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Chennai from delivered an outstanding performance, while completing the 11-obstacle, 1.15m show jumping course in a remarkable 71.42 seconds, without incurring any penalty points.

He finished 6.22 seconds behind Iran’s Mollaafzal, who took the gold medal.

Fabiola Chong claimed the bronze, clocking a time of 79.99 seconds.

Eight of a total 12 riders completed the demanding Surge Stable course here.

Myanmar’s Kyaw Uwnna Aung secured fourth place with a faultless round, finishing in 89.66 seconds. He was followed by Thailand’s Papungkorn Pabbamnan, who clocked 92.50 seconds.

Cambodia’s Menglong Rinda posted a fast time of 70.77 seconds but incurred 4 penalty points, placing him lower in the rankings.

Malaysia’s Muhammad Nazirul Amsyar completed the course in 88.96 seconds, also with 4 penalty points, while India’s Avik Bhatia finished in 74.40 seconds with 8 penalty points.

Meanwhile, three riders — Taisiya Lokteva from Uzbekistan, Asato Amami of Chinese Taipei, and Pakistan ’s Muhammad Khan Niazi were eliminated due to refusals and falls.

“We are incredibly proud of Surya Aditya and all the participants for their excellent display of skill and determination,” said EFI Secretary General Col. Jaiveer Singh.