Date: 2026-05-26Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
"From India’s Ancient Wisdom to a Global Sporting Platform, Yoga Is Becoming the World’s Shared Strength”: Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
**Executive Summary**
The 1st World Yogasana Championship is scheduled to take place in Amdavad, Gujarat, from June 4th to 8th, featuring over 500 participants from 75 countries. The event aims to transition Yoga from a wellness practice to a globally recognized sport while showcasing India’s "soft power." A key objective is to secure Yogasana’s inclusion in the International Olympic Council framework in alignment with India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Championship Logistics**
* The inaugural global event will host 12 competitive events over five days.
* Participation includes 500+ competitors representing 75 different nations.
* The event is hosted in Amdavad, Gujarat, marking the first time such a global championship is organized.
* **Strategic Vision for Yoga**
* Yoga is being promoted as a medium for health, economic opportunity, and livelihood.
* The practice is described as a 5,000-year-old Indian treasure that has evolved into a globally accepted sport.
* The government views Yogasana as a powerful symbol of India’s soft power and global recognition.
* **Olympic Ambitions**
* The Ministry is making efforts to establish Yogasana as an Olympic sport for the first time on the world stage.
* These efforts are specifically linked to India’s official bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
* A formal push is required to integrate the sport into the International Olympic Council (IOC) framework.
**Impact Analysis**
**Yogasana Federation**
**Impact**
The federation is now positioned as a primary body responsible for the international formalization of the sport.
**Action Required**
Work toward securing registration within the International Olympic Council framework to recognize Yogasana as an international sport.
**International Participants and Athletes**
**Impact**
Athletes from 75 countries gain a new high-level competitive platform and potential future pathway to Olympic participation.
**Action Required**
Attend and compete in the 12 events scheduled during the championship in Amdavad from June 4th–8th.
**Government of India (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports)**
**Impact**
The Ministry is utilizing the event as a diplomatic and strategic tool to bolster India’s 2036 Olympic bid.
**Action Required**
Continue efforts to promote Yogasana on the global stage and support the organizational requirements of the inaugural world championship.
Key Entities Referenced
World Yogasana Championship: The first-ever global competition for yogasana as a sport, featuring participants from 75 countries.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya: Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports who is leading the initiative to establish yogasana as an international competitive sport.
International Olympic Council: The regulatory framework under which India seeks to register and recognize yogasana as an Olympic sport.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: The primary central ministry responsible for the championship and India's bid for the 2036 Olympics.
Amdavad, Gujarat: The central host location for the 1st World Yogasana Championship.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
"From India’s Ancient Wisdom to a Global
Sporting Platform, Yoga Is Becoming the World’s
Shared Strength”: Union Minister of Youth Affairs
& Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
With India’s Bid for the 2036 Olympics, Efforts Are Underway
to Establish Yogasana as an Olympic Sport”: Union Minister
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
“Yoga Has Become India’s Soft Power and a Medium of
Health, Economic Opportunity and Global Recognition”: Dr.
Mandaviya
First World Yogasana Championship to be Held in Amdavad
from June 4th-8th; Participants from 75 Countries to Attend
Posted On: 26 MAY 2026 3:55PM by PIB Delhi
Amdavad, Gujarat will host the 1st World Yogasana Championship from June 4th to 8th, marking the first
time that the global event is being organised. More than 500 participants from 75 countries are expected to
take part across 12 events during the championship.Addressing the gathering ahead of the championship, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh
Mandaviya said, “Yoga was given to the world by India. It is an invaluable treasure discovered in our
country 5,000 years ago.”
Highlighting the significance of yoga, the Minister said, “Yoga gives us the strength of both body and
mind,” while emphasising that yoga has now evolved beyond good health into a globally accepted sport.
Speaking about yoga’s growing international acceptance, Dr. Mandaviya said, “All the countries in the
world have started accepting yoga and making it a part of their lives.” He noted that India’s knowledge
and tradition of yoga exist in every household and street of the country.Highlighting yoga’s expanding influence, the Minister said, “Yogasana today is not just a pathway to
physical and mental well-being, but also a growing source of livelihood and a powerful symbol of India’s
soft power across the world.”
The Minister said that the championship presents a major opportunity for India to showcase its soft power
globally.
The Minister further added that the federation should now work towards securing registration with the
International Olympic Council framework to recognise yogasana as an international sport.Referring to India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, Dr. Mandaviya said, “As the country where yoga
originated prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2036, we will also make every effort to establish
yogasana as an Olympic sport for the first time on the world stage.”
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Ayushman Kumar
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