Anush Agarwalla is a rare bird in the pantheon of Indian sporting stars, having reached the top of the tree in a discipline which still only enjoys a small following.
On 26 September, Agarwalla made history in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, when he and his team members Sudipti Hajela, Divyakriti Singh and Vipul Hriday Chheda bagged gold in the Team Dressage event, seeing off stiff competition from China and Hong Kong.
Two days later, Agarwalla made history again when he was awarded India's first individual medal in equestrian dressage, after winning bronze in the Individual Dressage event astride his horse Etro. Gold was bagged by Malaysia's Qabil Ambaq and Silver went to Jacqueline Siu of Hong Kong. By the end of the games, India's haul was 107 medals - 28 Gold, 38 Silver and 41 Bronze.
In the wake of his breathtaking success in the Asian Games, Sputnik India spoke to Agarwalla about his performance in Hangzhou, his plans for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and how great a hand his coach has had in his journey to become the triumphant athlete he is.
Winning Asian Gold Was 'Surreal'
Speaking about his double victory at the Asian Games which ended on 8 October, Agarwalla admitted that the whole experience was surreal. "To win the team Gold and an individual Bronze for India - a country which has never had a rich history in the sport of Equestrian dressage - was just incredible," he said.
"It is the dream of every athlete to see the national flag go up high in the sky, with the national anthem playing in front of thousands of spectators, so this moment was very memorable and emotional," the Kolkata-born star added.
On being asked which of his two medals he cherishes most, he replied that he believes that the team gold was far more important than the individual bronze. First, because it was a gold medal, and second because it was for India.
The 23-year-old explained that he felt more pressure while competing in the team event because he was the fourth rider and knew that all hopes were on him to deliver the best performance and bring the gold medal home.
Friends For Lifetime
Agarwalla attributes winning gold to the esprit de corps that existed between him and his teammates in Hangzhou.
"We did not know each other very well before the Asian Games, but now we have become a family - there is a bond between us which will last a lifetime. I am happy to have them as my teammates," he emphasised.
Anush Agarwalla
© X (Former Twitter)/@Efi_India
Confident About Paris Qualification
Agarwalla also discussed his plans for next year's Olympics in France.
He said he started working with life coach Manish Jain in February and would like to continue this regime in the run-up to the Olympics in Paris. Though Agarwalla hasn't qualified for the 2024 Olympics, he was upbeat about qualifying.
"Athletes have a qualification procedure for the Paris Olympics. I know what results I have to get to qualify and I am confident that I will make it to the Paris Games," he stressed.
Olympic Champion Behind Success in Hangzhou
The Indian athlete also paid homage to his coach, Olympic champion Hubertus Schmidt, for having nurtured him so successfully to become an equestrian star.
"He has played the biggest role in my career as an athlete. Without him, my success would not have been possible. Both my medals and all my triumphs are dedicated to him," the 23-year-old said.