Divyakriti Singh becomes first Indian woman to get Arjuna Award for equestrian sports

Jaipur/New Delhi, Jan 9: Divyakriti Singh has etched her name in the annals of Indian sports history as the first woman from the country to be honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award for equestrian sports.

President Droupadi Murmu presented the coveted award to her at a glittering ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, marking a crowning glory for the Asian Games Gold medallist in equestrian sports - the only woman to achieve the honour.

It was a proud moment not only for Divyakriti Singh but also for her home state of Rajasthan, as she stands as the sole representative to receive an Arjuna Award not only this year, but for the past five years.

An elated Divyakriti said: "This is a moment of immense pride for the equestrian sport and our noble companions, the horses, to receive recognition and reward from our Hon’ble President. It is a humbling experience, and I extend my gratitude to my family and my horses, whose support has been instrumental in helping me achieve this remarkable feat."

An alumni of The Palace School, Jaipur and Mayo College Girls School in Ajmer, Divyakriti Singh has been training in Germany for the last three years at the famous Hof Kasselmann dressage yard in Hagen.

In September, Divyakriti was part of the Gold Medal winning Indian Dressage team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Post that, she won an Individual Silver and two Bronze medals at the International Dressage Competition in Riyadh last month with career best scores improving upon her Asian Games scores amongst stiff International competition with riders from across the globe.

Divyakriti Singh was ranked No.1 in Asia and No.14 in the World in the Global Dressage Rankings issued by the International Equestrian Federation in March.