Sports Minister lends support to IOA's plea to include yoga in Asian Games

Yogasana has been added as a competitive discipline over the last many editions of Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games since 2020. (PTI Photo)

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has welcomed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha's move to get yoga included in 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," Mandaviya said in a statement.

The IOA president had written to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) acting chief Randhir Singh on June 26 to consider the proposal of including yoga as a sport in the 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," Mandaviya 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." The Government of India, through its different initiatives, has promoted yoga as a competitive sport as well along with it being an art and science of healthy living.

The Sports Ministry 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 and Khelo India University Games since 2020.

It is also learnt that Asian Yogasana, 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.