The Indian government has announced its intention to push for the inclusion of yogasana in the Olympics. This move comes ahead of India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
The announcement was made the week before the inaugural World Yogasana Championship, which took place in Ahmedabad in June. The event saw 522 yogis from 79 countries compete, with gold medallist Vaishnavi Saravanakumar among them. The championships were broadcast live on national television and featured a 269-page rulebook, including an anti-doping policy.
Udit Sheth, president of Yogasana Bharat, has been working to establish yogasana as a global competitive sport. He distinguishes 'yogasana' from 'yoga', stating that yogasana refers specifically to the physical postures (asanas), which are only one part of the wider practice of yoga.
However, not all yogis support the competitive aspect. Divya Kohli, a UK-based yoga teacher, expressed strong disapproval, stating that the foundations of yoga require letting go of ego and not seeking external approval. Sheth believes that competitive yogasana could encourage young people to engage with traditional yogic principles by making it more exciting.
In July of this year, the Delhi high court quashed Yogasana Bharat's recognition as India's national yoga federation. This decision followed a legal challenge by the Yoga Federation of India, citing that Yogasana Bharat's status was granted by the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports when it had only been in existence for three months, violating the national sports development code. The court ordered a new selection process for eligible bodies.