Indian riders pull off golden surprise after a 41-year wait

They were among the most unfancied gold medal hopes in the 655-member Indian contingent at the Asian Games. While they had belief, many others reckoned that the dressage team was there to make up the numbers. On a temperate Tuesday at Hangzhou, they proved the doubters wrong to go down in history.

The team almost didn't make it to the Asian Games, and it took an out-of-court settlement with the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) to ensure their participation. But the team has now won the first-ever Indian gold in dressage, and the first equestrian gold for the country in 41 years.

The pervading pessimism in the run-up to the Games has, in an odd way, made the success of Sudipti Hajela, Divyakriti Singh, Hriday Chheda and Anush Agarwalla sweeter. The four young riders the oldest member of the team, Chheda, is 25-managed a combined score of 209.205. Hosts China were next with 204.882 points followed by the team from Hong Kong, who scored 204.852.

India's three previous gold medals in equestrian came in the 1982 Asiad in New Delhi, and the only dressage medal, a bronze, was won by JS Ahluwalia at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.