Fouaad Mirza, India’s first Equestrian in Two Decades at the Olympics

A man of firsts and a brilliant Equestrian, Fouaad Mirza became the first Indian to participate in the Olympics in the last two decades. As the first Indian rider after Imtiaz Anees to perform at the Olympics; Mirza and accompanied by his horse, Seigneur Medicott will perform at one of the toughest and most egalitarian Equestrian competitions at the Tokyo Olympics. Mirza and his horse have also won two silver medals at the Asian games 2018 in the categories of individual and a team respectively, ending India’s 36-year wait. Keep reading to find out more about India’s riding star!

Early Life and Education 

Fouaad Mirza was born on the 6th of March 1992 in Bangalore, Karnataka. He belongs to the royal lineage from the state of Mysore. He started riding horses at the age of five. His father, Dr. Hasneyn Mirza is one of India’s best equine veterinarians. It is obvious that his father’s job inspired his own career. Mirza would ride a horse at school and the passion for riding kept on increasing. He seeks inspiration from Colonel Rajesh Pattu, an ex-army officer. Mirza completed his degree in psychology and business from England while also pursuing his career as a horse rider.

Also Read: Meet Maana Patel, the First Female Indian Swimmer to Qualify for Tokyo Olympics

Awards and Achievements

• Mirza won two silver medals at Asian games 2018 in Jakarta at the Equestrian jumping event in the category of team and individual
• He received the Arjuna awards in 2019 for his outstanding performance in Asian Games 2018
• In the same year, 2019, he won gold at CCI3*-S event held in Poland, thus confirming his Olympics debut
• In the year 2020, he finally qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by finishing first in the Oceania group

Related Read: From India to Tokyo Olympics: Witness the Journey of Udayan Mane

Leap for the Tokyo Olympic Medal 2020

On Friday, 30 July, Fouaad Mirza performed smoothly in the equestrian event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He scored a total of 28 penalty points and found a suitable spot at 6th position. He finished at the 7th position at the end of the event as an individual ranking. Truly remarkable!

• This was certainly an impressive debut of Indian equestrian, Fouaad Mirza at the Tokyo Olympics. The only representative ended at the seventh position on day one. 
• On Saturday, Mirza knocked two fences in the jumping round and scored eight penalty points and finished at the 25 fifth spot with overall penalty points of 47.2.
• On Sunday, Mirza scored 11.2 penalty points in the challenging See Forest cross-country course and was placed at 22nd position. 
• Mirza and his horse finished their run around eight minutes after starting a little late due to technical issues.
• We hope that he performs exceptionally well in the upcoming events of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Indians have high hopes for this young candidate.

Lesser Known Facts about Mirza

• Just a 29 year old Indian man who earned an Olympic quota in 2020 after topping the South East Asia championship. 
• Mirza is getting his training under German coach Sandra Auffarth for the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. Sandra has won Olympic gold at team events and Olympic silver at individual events.
• The Embassy Group sponsors Mirza 
• Mirza is competing in the individual category at the present Olympics
• Mirza stays in the stable for more than 12 hours every day for training
• Career breakthrough was in the year 2018 during Asian Games where he won two silver medals

Must Read: Meet CA Bhavani Devi, the First Indian Fencer to Qualify for Olympics

Journey Ahead

After the end of Tokyo Olympics 2020, Mirza is headed towards Germany for an event in the month of August. He is interested in participating in the World equestrian games. He’s keen on getting selected for the Asian Games. 

Check out: Lifting India’s Hope in Tokyo Olympics: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

We hope this blog enlightened you about the young and brilliant Fouaad Mirza from India. LeverageEdu wishes all the players the very best! Watch this space for more information and exciting blogs on inspiring individuals!