NewzVille Desk
Hosts Indian signed off the inaugural World Yogasana Championships campaign with 114 medals that included a century of gold (102) to underline their domination at the EKA Arena here on Monday.
Second played Japan were a distant second with three gold, three silver and five bronze with Argentina taking the third spot thanks to their lone athlete, Nabila Barraza’s exploit of two gold and three silver.
Neighbours Nepal were the second most successful contingent in terms of number of medals won as they clinched a total of 52 medals, including one gold, 36 silver and 15 bronze to finish fifth on the medal standings. Uzbekistan finished with 25 medals, including one gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze.
In all, a total of 522 athletes from 79 countries participated in the Championships with 31 of them winning at least one medal each. Ten of those managed to win at least one gold medal.
The inaugural World Yogasana Championships in Ahmedabad, the venue of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, were a landmark event that marked a defining moment in the evolution of Yogasana, transforming an ancient Indian practice into a globally competitive sporting discipline while strengthening its pathway towards recognition within the Olympic movement.
The World Yogasana Championship 2026 was supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Ministry of Ayush, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism and Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association –establishing Yogasana as a global sporting discipline and paving the way towards Olympic recognition.
Hosts India had fielded a strong 122-member contingent, with athletes competing across six age categories – Sub-Junior Men and Women (10-14 years), Junior Men and Women (14-18 years), Senior (18-28 years), Senior A (28-35 years), Senior B (35-45 years) and Senior C (45-55 years).
In a video message, Swami Ramdevi Ji Maharaj – President, World Yogasana termed the World Yogasana Championship as the beginning of a global movement. “World Yogasana Championship is not the destination; it is the beginning of a global movement. Yoga is not merely a sport—it is a way of life, a path to health, harmony, peace and human unity. Every athlete here is not just a champion, but an ambassador of yoga to the world.
“Today we celebrate medals and champions, but tomorrow we must create a world connected through yoga. I firmly believe that the journey which began here will one day take Yogasana to the Olympic stage and inspire generations across the globe,” he added.
The five-day championships proved to be a melting pot of cultures with athletes enjoyed the great hospitality in India and also learnt about the history and journey of Yogasana.
Armenia’s Sona Soghayan, who took up yoga during her second pregnancy three years back, was amazed to see the sport getting such a huge platform in India. She said in an intervview: “I will carry a lot of pleasant memories from my first visit to India. I hope to spread the concept of yoga among my friends after going back to Armenia as this sport helps a lot to maintain our wellbeing.”
