Ahmedabad Hosts Inaugural World Yogasana Championship; PM Modi to Join Virtually

Ahmedabad: The first-ever World Yogasana Sports Championship is set to begin in Ahmedabad on Thursday, bringing together hundreds of athletes from across the globe for a historic celebration of Yogasana as a competitive sport.

The five-day championship, being held at the EKA Arena from June 4 to June 8, will feature around 400 participants representing more than 60 countries, including the United States, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan. Competitors will showcase their skills in traditional, artistic, rhythmic pairs, and team Yogasana events.

Ahead of the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the growing international appeal of yoga and announced that he would address the championship virtually on Thursday evening. He described the tournament as a major milestone in Yogasana’s journey toward global sporting recognition and extended his best wishes to all participants and organisers.

The championship is being organised with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Ayush, the Sports Authority of India, the Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism, and the Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association. It is widely regarded as a significant step toward establishing Yogasana as a recognised international sport.

India will be represented by a 122-member team. Athletes will compete in six age divisions for both men and women, ranging from Sub-Junior (10–14 years) to Senior C (45–55 years).

Events will include individual, artistic, and traditional group categories. In a first for the sport at the global level, organisers will introduce an electronic scoring system to enhance transparency and ensure consistency in judging. The competition will be supervised by 32 international judges and 51 national judges.

Yogasana Bharat President Udit Sheth called the championship a landmark opportunity to showcase India's indigenous sporting tradition on the world stage. Echoing similar sentiments, World Yogasana General Secretary Dr. Jaideep Arya described the event as a defining moment in the evolution of Yogasana, bringing together athletes from across continents to display its unique blend of athleticism, discipline, and artistry.

The championship follows an opening ceremony and will be broadcast live daily on Doordarshan from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with live streaming also available on the broadcaster’s YouTube channel throughout the event.

With inputs from IANS