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The Ministry of AYUSH, and Youth Affairs and Sports jointly announced on Thursday that Yogasana will get formally recognized as a competitive sport in India. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said that they will now work towards getting Yogasana recognition as a competitive sport globally as well.
This decision will help Yogasana get government funding. It is an important step in spreading awareness among people about the innumerable benefits of practicing yoga.
Planning to include Yogasana in Khelo India: Kiren Rijiju
Rijiju spoke to the media at the press conference. He noted how Yogasana has been a competitive sport for long, but needed to get recognized by the government officially.
"Yogasana has been a competitive sport for a long time. But it has to be recognized by the Government of India so that it becomes an official and recognised competitive sport."
The National Yogasana Sports Federation of India (NYSFI) was established to develop yoga as a competitive sport in India. The Sports Ministry had recognized NYSFI earlier in November this year.
The Sports Minister also said that the ministry has been planning to add Yogasana in Khelo India and the University Games. He added that it is the beginning for the sport to get included in the Olympics ahead.
We are planning to include Yogasana as a sport discipline in Khelo India and in the University Games and we will also pitch it at the National Games but the aim and objective of any sport is to be included in the Olympics and this is a beginning of a long journey," Rijiju said.
Yoga sporting leagues have also been planned by the Sports Ministry. The Sports Ministry aims to stage a national-level championship in February too. To push for the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics, India could host World Yogasana Championship in late 2021.
To begin with, a pilot national-level traditional yogasana championship has been proposed in February next year, and later in the year there is a plan to conduct a World Yogasana Championship that India will host,” the Sports Minister said.
