Pak rider’s ‘Azad Kashmir’ horse likely to run into Tokyo 2020 row

POLITICAL NEUTRALITY HAS TO BE MAINTAINED AT THE OLYMPICS AT ANY COST, SAYS IOA CHIEF NARINDER BATRA

MUMBAI: In December, Pakistani horserider Usman Khan qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — marking his country’s maiden appearance in equestrian’s invidual eventing.

Two months later, Usman’s upcoming presence at the Games has become a cause of concern among India’s Olympics administrators.

The reason is that Usman’s horse, the one he rode to qualify for Tokyo, is named ‘Azad Kashmir’ (Independent Kashmir).

According to a horse database maintained by the international equestrian federation (FEI), Usman bought a 12-year-old baycolt named “Here-to-Stay” from Belinda Isbister of Australia in April 2019, and renamed him Azad Kashmir. Usman is set to ride the same horse at the Olympics as well.

With India’s Fouaad Mirza also having qualified for the same event in Tokyo, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has sought legal opinion to check if the matter would fall under the purview of the Olympic Charter’s Rule 50 which provides a framework to protect the neutrality of sport and the Olympic Games. Rule 50 states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

Naming a horse after a region invaded and occupied by Pakistan in 1947, and which India calls Pakistan Occupied Kashmir — the rest of Kashmir is part of the Indian union — may well fall afoul of that rule.

“Political neutrality has to be maintained at the Olympics at any cost,” said IOA president Narinder Batra. “People can’t be allowed to play mischief at the Games.”