Indian equestrian Anush Agarwalla enjoys Euro 2024 semi-final between England and the Netherlands
Indian equestrian star Anush Agarwalla recently found some downtime to enjoy the Euro 2024 semi-final between England and the Netherlands at the Signal Iduna Park (BVB Stadion) in Dortmund, Germany on Wednesday, July 10. In what was a thrilling match, England triumphed 2-1 thanks to a stunning late goal from Ollie Watkins, securing their spot in the finals against Spain.
Germany has been more than just a temporary home for Anush; it's where he has been training since he was 17. Training under the guidance of former Olympic gold medalist Hubertus Schmidt, the 25-year-old Anush has been making significant strides in his equestrian career.
Anush took to his Instagram story, where he showed a glimpse of the game from the stadium.
Is Anush Agarwalla a part of the Paris Olympics 2024?
Anush Agarwalla made history for India by securing the nation’s first-ever dressage quota for the Paris Olympics 2024 in February.
Anush had a phenomenal season last year, clinching medals at both the individual and team events in the Asian Games 2023. He secured a bronze medal in the individual event to become the first Indian to do so. Meanwhile, Anush was also a vital part of the team that won the first-ever gold medal for India in dressage at the Asian Games.
Competing in various FEI events across Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, Anush accumulated impressive results that paved the way for his Olympic qualification.
However, his path to the Olympics was briefly halted when fellow rider Shruti Vora challenged the Equestrian Federation of India's (EFI) selection criteria in court. Anush had a better average as per EFI’s criteria and was thus selected for the Summer Olympics in Paris.
The Delhi court's verdict upheld the EFI's decision, and thus, the EFI has now sent an official entry for Anush to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at the Paris Olympics 2024. He will be the first Indian to compete in the dressage event at the Olympics, a field previously limited to Indian equestrians in eventing categories.