India Secures Double Podium As Iran Stars In AEF Cup CSIY-B Overall Standings

India was elated to have finished on both podiums in the overall AEF Cup CSIY-B standings, which were held at Bangalore's Surge Stable. Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia, two Indian riders, received second and bronze, respectively, while Yazdan Mollaafzal of Iran won the gold medal after showing consistency and accuracy in both rounds. Surya Aditya, who had won the silver medal in the first round of competition on Saturday, continued to play well to win the championship's overall silver.

Avik Bhatia, 16, produced a fantastic recovery in Round 2, winning silver after placing eighth in Round 1. His strong showing in the second round enabled him to take home the bronze in the final standings. Avik beat Iran's Yazdan Mollaafzal with a clean jumping run time of 86.43 seconds, although his final placing was impacted by penalties for hitting obstacles during the jump-off. Day 2's jumping competition saw Avik take the lead at first, but Yazdan Mollaafzal ended up taking home the gold medal after a faultless, penalty-free performance in the jump-off, finishing in 60.32 seconds.

In Round 2, Menglong Rinda, a rider from Cambodia, finished in 79.58 seconds with four penalty points, completing the podium. An outstanding accomplishment for India was made when Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia secured second and third place, respectively, in the final overall standings. During this competition, both riders received training from India team coach Barath Manoharan, who was instrumental in getting the cyclists ready for the competition.

"This double podium finish is great news for Indian equestrians. Both Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia demonstrated exceptional determination and skill while competing against top international and experienced riders. Their achievements reflect the promising future of Indian equestrian sports, and we are confident that they will continue to excel with bold and technically sound performances," said Colonel Jaiveer Singh, Secretary of the Equestrian Federation of India.

Eleven of the twelve riders that started the competition made it to Round 2, as Madhy A A H Alkhamis of Kuwait withdrew. Over the course of the two days, Muhammad Khan Niazi, Taisiya Lokteva, and Asato Amami—riders from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Chinese Taipei—were eliminated for failing to finish their respective rounds. In the overall standings, Fabiola Chong of Hong Kong and Papungkorn Pabbamnam of Thailand came in fifth and sixth, respectively, with Muhammad Nazirul Amsyar of Malaysia and Kyaw Wana Aung of Myanmar coming in close behind.

Top riders from 11 different countries showcased their abilities at Bengaluru's state-of-the-art Surge Stable from October 11 to 13, during the AEF Cup CSIY-B, which was held in India for the first time in 14 years.