Doha: Kyrgyzstan’s Viktoriia Terina won the Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF) U-21 Dressage Championship, which concluded at the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Indoor Arena, in Al Rayyan yesterday.
The young rider topped the scoresheets with a total of 122.440 (63.036, 59.405) points from the two rounds. A total of 15 riders from eight Asian countries took part in the event.
Terina scored an average of 63.036 from three rides (63.036, 62.321, 63.750) to finish third in yesterday’s second round of the competition. On Friday, she had scored 62.500, 57.321 and 58.393 to finish in the sixth spot, but her overall points total lifted her to the top of the table.
“I hope I can ride like this in the future also. I will aim to compete in more events,” Terina said after her victory yesterday.
“The tournament was well-organised. I thank QEF for hosting us and for the excellent organisation,” she added.
Thailand’s Pawarisa Thongpradup won the second round with a score of 64.940, but his first round score of 57.083 placed him in the second spot in the overall standings (122.024).
Indonesian youth champion Rosad Febrisamina booked the third spot, scoring a total of 121.012 (62.560 and 58.452).
Indian duo of Raunaq Anand (120.238) and Sudipti Hajela (120.000) were placed fourth and fifth respectively after the two rounds.
The top scorer in the opening day of the event, Qatar’s Maryam Al Boinin, yesterday failed to repeat the same performance and finished in the 14th spot with an average score of 55.179 in the second round.
With a first round score of 64.583, her total score read 119.762 as Boinin finished in the 6th position in the final standings, also becoming the top performing rider for the host country.
Singapore’s Tara Yen Wee, who finished second in yesterday’s final round with a score of 64.048, missed out on a podium spot in the overall event because of her first round score of 55.655 contributed to a total score of only 119.702.
Al Boinin’s compatriot, Jassim Mohammad Al Kuwari, with 118.452 points, finished in the eighth spot at the end of the two-day event, hosted by the QEF for the first time.
Badr Al Darwish, Secretary General of the Qatar and Asian Equestrian Federations, yesterday said: “This event was staged as part of our efforts to help our young riders improve and to develop the sport in Qatar. We will continue to stage such events in the future also. The U-21 is a great age group for riders to compete in this kind of an event. This age bracket can help young riders go on to bigger events with confidence.”
He added: “The Asian championship was inaugurated following intense efforts. We have hosted riders from Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, India, Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia. We have had a number of meetings involving officials of the Asian body and QEF.”
Omar Al Mannai, the Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Hathab Championship and the Commercial Manager of Al Shaqab, said: “The success of this event shows the fruitful collaboration between Al Shaqab and the QEF. With every bit of support extended by Al Shaqab, the equestrian sport is on the rise in Qatar.”
He added: “The tournament was hosted here because of the initiative of QEF that came on the directives of the President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. This is an Olympic sport and to have a rich field of riders is good for our riders.”
Al Mannai praised QEF’s initiatives to develop the sport in Qatar.
“Our riders are getting better with each event. We also see fierce competition during the rounds of Hathab Series. QEF is working hard with young riders in the country,” Al Mannai said.
“The exposure our young riders are getting is crucial for their development as riders. I am not surprised that Qatar is doing well,” he added.
Abid Saleem Khan Tareen, Assistant Secretary of the AEF, said yesterday: “This event has been a huge success for the riders, officials and the fans. I am sure we will see more of such events taking place in Qatar and in Asia. The Asian Equestrian Federation, under the chairmanship Hamad bin Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah, is moving forward rapidly. This sport will continue to grow across Asia.”
