PM Modi declares open first World Yogasana Championship in Ahmedabad: 'Important chapter of history'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared open the inaugural World Yogasana Championship in Ahmedabad and said that the event will help Yoga gain a new identity as a competitive sport.

Highlighting the role of the championship, PM Modi said, “Ahead of International Yoga Day, the World Yogasana Championship Brings a Double Dose of Health and Wellness.”

'New phase for yoga'

“Every living tradition enters new phases with time. This World Championship of Yogasana Sports marks the beginning of such a new phase,” PM Modi said in his address via video conferencing.

“Yogasana will gain a new identity as a competitive sport through this Championship,” he said.

On the wider impact of sports, the Prime Minister said that every major sport creates an entire ecosystem around it.

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“As Yogasana Sport expands, new possibilities associated with it will also grow. It will bring new Career Opportunities for athletes and create opportunities for Trainers, Sports Scientists, Researchers and Event Managers,” he said.

Congratulating the participants, the Prime Minister said that the significance of the World Yogasana Championship goes beyond competition.

“No matter who wins this competition, by becoming a part of this important chapter of history, all of you have already become Champions,” he said.

He also urged the participating athletes to become ambassadors of the Ministry of Ayush’s ‘Yoga Three Sixty Five’ campaign, encouraging them to take the message of yoga back to their countries and inspire year-round participation in the ancient practice.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Yogasana will eventually earn a place in international sporting events.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, described the Yogasana Championship as a historic moment for India and the global yoga community.

“The World Yogasana Championship is beginning in India; in its very first edition, 78 countries and over 500 athletes have come together. It is a historic moment for the country,” he said.

The Sports Minister further emphasised that Yogasana is now emerging as a competitive sport, with India leading this transformation.

“When India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and the Olympics in 2036, our ambition is to see Yogasana become part of these global sporting events,” he said.

The Opening Ceremony was also graced by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State for Home, Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Government of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, and World Yogasana President Swami Ramdev, among other dignitaries.

The World Yogasana Championship has brought together elite Yogasana athletes and delegations from over 60 nations, including Uganda, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Japan, Oman, Mauritius and the Netherlands. It aims to establish Yogasana as a globally recognised sporting discipline.