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FEI Threatens EFI Suspension Over Election Failure, Governance Breach
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News18•22-09-2026, 14:15
FEI Threatens EFI Suspension Over Election Failure, Governance Breach
- •The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has threatened to suspend the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) for failing to finalize a new constitution and hold fresh elections, violating good governance principles.
- •Despite a Delhi High Court directive, the EFI has not conducted elections, leading the FEI to cite a breach of its statutes, specifically Article 2.11 on promoting ethics and good governance.
- •An ad-hoc committee, formed on March 27 by the IOA, was tasked with conducting elections by June 27 but failed to do so; key members, including FEI Director Francisco Lima and panel head Yashodhara Raje Scindia, later left the panel.
- •The FEI has given the EFI until September 28 to provide a written explanation, after which its Board will consider a possible suspension at its October 13 meeting.
- •The governance dispute dates back several years, with the EFI's 2019 elections being litigated and the High Court reinstating the Executive Committee in May 2024 due to the Paris Olympics.
Key Questions Answered
The FEI threatened to suspend the EFI due to a breach of good governance principles, specifically citing the failure to finalise a new constitution and conduct fresh democratic elections following a Delhi High Court directive.
The FEI has given the EFI until September 28 to submit a written explanation, after which a report will be presented to the FEI Board on October 13 to consider a possible suspension.
The Indian Olympic Association formed the ad-hoc committee on March 27, and it was originally expected to finalize the constitution and conduct elections within a three-month period expiring on June 27.
