India qualify for Tent Pegging World Cup finals in Jordan with six medals

India on Monday qualified for the Tent Pegging World Cup Championships to be held in Jordan in November 2026 after a strong showing in the qualifying competition, where they won a total of six medals, including four team medals and two individual honours.

The Indian team comprised Dfr Sandeep Kumar, Dfr Dhanraj Sirsat, Dfr Bonge Ganesh Baliram and ASI Jitender Singh, all of whom contributed to the team medals across events.

Competing against traditional powerhouses such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Norway and Indonesia, the Indian contingent delivered a consistent performance across lance, sword and combined events to secure an overall bronze medal and confirm their place in the World Cup finals in Jordan.

India opened their medal tally on January 29 with a team silver in the lance event, while Dfr Dhanraj Sirsat of the Rashtriya Rifles clinched an individual bronze in the same discipline.

The following day proved to be the highlight of the campaign as India struck gold in the team sword event. Sirsat added his second individual medal with a silver in the sword event, underlining his standout performance in the competition.

On January 31, the Indian team claimed bronze medals in the combined Lemon & Pegs, Rings & Pegs and Relay events. The cumulative results earned India an overall team bronze, sealing qualification for the World Cup championships.

The team’s coach-cum-manager Tarsem Singh Warraich, whose appointment caused a controversy as he is facing rape allegations, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying the sustained effort of the young riders has paid.

“Each day we won a medal, our athletes were consistent. It’s a team effort,” said Warraich.