Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment Shri Mansukh Mandaviya welcomes the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr PT Usha’s move to have Yoga included the Asian Games programme. “It is only fair that in keeping with its wide popularity, Yoga becomes a competitive sport and is in the Asian Games,” he said.

IOA President has written to Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sh. Raja Randhir Singh on June 26, to consider the proposal of including Yoga as a sport in Asian Games.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has worked hard to ensure that June 21 is celebrated as International Yoga Day each year. The discipline, which embraces mind and body, has gained in popularity around the world and is ready as a competitive sport with its own code of points and distinct events,” he said.

“India has been in the forefront of making Yoga popular and we started it as a competitive sport by including it in the Khelo India Youth Games with great success. It is pleasing to note that growing number of Yoga practitioners has encouraged organisers of National Games to include it in their schedule,” he said.

Government of India through its different initiatives has promoted Yoga as a competitive sport as well along with it being an art & science of healthy living. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has granted recognition to Yogasana Bharat for promotion and development of Yogasana as a competitive sport in India. Additionally, Yogasana has been added as a competitive discipline over the last many editions of Khelo India Youth Games & Khelo India University Games since 2020.

It is also learnt that Asian Yoganasa, recognised body by World Yogasana, has already written to OCA for affiliation so that Yogasana can be developed as a competitive sport across the continent.

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Pragya Paliwal Gaur/ Himanshu Pathak