Devyakriti Singh is the first Indian Woman to achieve this award
A name that became famous in the annals of Indian sports history emerged in the heartlands of Rajasthan, in the middle of the capital of Jaipur: Divyakriti Singh. The 23-year-old equestrian superstar has become the first Indian woman to achieve this in the equestrian sector and has also earned a notable Arjuna Award.
Since then, she has improved on her results from the Asian Games. Last month, she raced against tough international competition with riders from all over the world, and she won an Individual Silver and two Bronze medals at the International Dressage Competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At a glittering ceremony on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, President of India Draupadi Murmu presented Divyakriti Singh with the coveted Arjuna Award, marking a pinnacle achievement for the Asian Games gold medallist in equestrian sports.
About the exemplary athlete
Divyakriti is the second Rajasthani woman to earn a gold medal in the Asian Games, following Rahi Sarnobat, who took first place in the difficult 25-meter air pistol finals. She attended Jesus and Marry College at Delhi University as well as Mayo College Girls School in Ajmer.
In pursuit of her passion, Divyakriti has faced numerous personal challenges, one of which was having to sell her house. According to reports, while she was in school, her father had to sell their house to raise the money needed for Divyakriti to continue her training in equestrian dressage. Divyakriti’s parents’ support has allowed her to improve her skills and train consistently.
For the past three years, she has been training at the Hof Kasselman dressage yard in Hagen, Germany. In addition, Divyakriti won two bronze and one individual silver medal in the International Dressage Competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This helped her practice the skills she had perfected before the Asian Games competition.
Divyakriti said: “This is a moment of immense pride for the Equestrian sport and our noble companions, the horses, to receive recognition and reward from our Hon’ble President. It is a humbling experience, and I extend my gratitude to my family and my horses, whose support has been instrumental in helping me achieve this remarkable feat.”
What is Equestrian Sport?
The term “equestrian” refers to a broad range of activities, including horseback riding. The three sports that make up the Olympics are dressage, eventing, and jumping, or show jumping.
According to Fédération Equestre Internationale, the sport dates back to the old Olympic Games, when chariot racing was one of the main events from approximately 680 BC until the introduction of jumping, dressage, and eventing in 1912 after the revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1896.
By: Gursharan Kaur