Asian Games snub leaves Agarwalla 'deeply hurt' over missed opportunity

Indian dressage rider Anush Agarwalla has expressed his disappointment over missing out on the Asian Games, saying he feels "deeply hurt" at not getting an opportunity to compete in the continental showpiece.

In an emotional post on Instagram, Agarwalla said the dream of competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was officially over and expressed his frustration with the process that led to his exclusion.

"The dream of Asian Games 2026 is officially over," he wrote in a post.

"Words cannot explain the pain and emptiness I feel right now.

I have always represented India with immense pride, and always will.

But this time, I am deeply hurt - not because I lost, but because I was never given the chance to compete." Agarwalla, who was part of India's gold-winning dressage team at the Hangzhou Asian Games and won an individual bronze, was initially named as a reserve for the 2026 Games.

His exclusion had earlier led to a selection dispute, with Agarwalla challenging the process and ...