New Delhi: Fawad Mirza, who won two medals at the Asian Games, finished the 20-year wait by securing the Olympic quota while leading in the qualifiers. Fawad is the top-ranked equestrian in the individual competition of Southeast Asia, Osiana Group G after finishing European level this month.

However, the International Declaration Federation (FEI) will make an official announcement in this matter on February 20. Earlier, only Imtiaz Anees (Sydney, 2000) and the late Wing Commander IJ Lamba (Atalanta, 1996) have represented India in the Olympics. The 27-year-old horseman, who received the Arjuna Award in August this year, scored a total of 64 points from six qualifying events. He scored 34 points from his first horse Fernhill FaceTime and 30 from the second horse Touchingwood.

Fawaz told PTI from Germany that "I was expecting a quota, but had to wait for the teams from China and Thailand to qualify." Both teams qualified in Italy last week. If these countries had not qualified as teams, they would have taken individual positions and I would not have got the quota. He said, 'I am very happy to get the quota but I still need to work hard. It is one of several rungs. Now we have to prepare best so that my form will be more good while going to the competition. The player, who ended a 36-year drought by winning a medal at the Asian Games last year, said, "I would like to thank the Embassy Group and Jitu Virwani for their achievement for giving me a chance to prepare."

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