On Friday, the team members were presented cash awards for their performance in the event, where India won a team gold and two individual silver medals. The team comprised inspector Jagdish Singh (Punjab Police), HC Jaswinder Singh (BSF), HC K Sassidharan (ITBP) and Ris Om Prakash (ASC). In all, nine teams from eight countries competed in Oman, with the hosts fielding two teams.

Though there were eight golds on stake, the Indian performance is creditable given that the team had only one day to acquaint themselves with borrowed horses, allotted through a draw of lots to the participants. “Pakistan and Oman were the strongest opponents but it was all about adjusting,” said Ris Om Prakash. “Two of the horses we got were slow. If not, we could have done better,” said Chief d’equippe Maj Aman Bath.

Tent-pegging involves a mounted horseman galloping and picking up a small ground target with a sword or a lance, with several variations. The event is not part of major multi-discipline events but a proposal has been made to include it in the Asian Games next year, even if only as a demonstration sport. The only time tent-pegging was part of the Asiad was way back in 1982.