Bangalore, Oct 13 (IANS) India celebrated a double podium finish in the overall standings at the AEF Cup CSIY-B, held at Surge Stable in Bangalore. Indian riders Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively while Iran's Yazdan Mollaafzal took the top spot, displaying consistency and precision across both rounds.

Surya Aditya, who had earlier secured the silver medal in Round 1 on Saturday, maintained his strong form to claim the overall silver in the competition. Meanwhile, the 16-year-old Avik Bhatia made an outstanding comeback after finishing 8th in Round 1 by grabbing silver in Round 2. His impressive performance in Round 2 helped him secure the bronze in the overall standings. Avik completed a clean jumping run in 86.43 seconds, which was faster than Iran’s Yazdan Mollaafzal, but penalties incurred for touching obstacles during the jump-off affected his final placement.

On Day 2, Avik initially led the jumping event but it was Yazdan Mollaafzal who ultimately claimed the gold medal with a flawless, penalty-free performance in the jump-off, clocking in at 60.32 seconds. Cambodian rider Menglong Rinda completed the podium in Round 2, finishing the course in 79.58 seconds with 4 penalty points.

The final overall standings saw Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia secure second and third place, respectively, marking a proud achievement for India.

"This double podium finish is great news for Indian equestrians. Both Surya Aditya and Avik Bhatia demonstrated exceptional determination and skill while competing against top international and experienced riders. Their achievements reflect the promising future of Indian equestrian sports, and we are confident that they will continue to excel with bold and technically sound performances," said Colonel Jaiveer Singh, Secretary of the Equestrian Federation of India.

Out of the 12 riders who began the competition, 11 participated in Round 2 as Kuwait’s Madhy A A H Alkhamis withdrew from the event. Riders from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Chinese Taipei - Muhammad Khan Niazi, Taisiya Lokteva, and Asato Amami - were eliminated over the two days for not completing their respective rounds.

Hong Kong's Fabiola Chong and Thailand's Papungkorn Pabbamnam placed fifth and sixth, respectively, with Myanmar’s Kyaw Wana Aung and Malaysia’s Muhammad Nazirul Amsyar following closely behind in the overall rankings.

The AEF Cup CSIY-B, returning to India after 14 years, featured top riders from 11 nations showcasing their skills at Bengaluru’s state-of-the-art Surge Stable from October 11 to 13.