2026 World Yogasana Championship
The 2026 World Yogasana Championship was the inaugural edition of the World Yogasana Championship, held from 4 to 8 June 2026 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The championship was organised by World Yogasana and hosted by Yogasana Bharat, the sole affiliated unit of World Yogasana in India, which is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.
The championship was the first global sporting event for yogasana as a competitive discipline, marking what organisers described as a defining moment in the evolution of the sport, transforming an ancient Indian practice into a globally competitive discipline and strengthening its pathway towards Olympic recognition. India topped the final medal tally with 30 medals, including 24 gold.
Background
Yogasana, rooted in the ancient Indian tradition of yoga, was formally developed as a competitive sport by World Yogasana. The sport involves athletes performing defined postures (asanas) that are judged on a points-based system known as the Code of Points. Prior to the inaugural World Championship, India had already demonstrated international dominance in the sport, winning a record 83 gold medals at the Asian Yogasana Sport Championship held in Delhi in April 2025.
The 1st WYSC 2026 was originally announced via official circular as being planned for the "Second Half of March 2026" in New Delhi or Mumbai, before the venue was confirmed as Ahmedabad.
Host selection and venue
The championship was held at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The venue hosted competition from 4 to 8 June 2026, the five-day event also receiving government support from the Sports Authority of Gujarat and Gujarat Tourism.
The championship was supported by:
- Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India
- Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
- Sports Authority of India (SAI)
- Sports Authority of Gujarat
- Gujarat Tourism
- Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association
Organisation
The championship was organised by World Yogasana under its President, Baba Ramdev (Swami Ramdev), and its General Secretary, Dr Jaideep Arya. Yogasana Bharat, led by its President Udit Sheth, served as the national host body.
The competition was broadcast live on Doordarshan television from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily and streamed on the Doordarshan YouTube channel from 4 to 8 June 2026.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was held on 4 June 2026 at the EKA Arena. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially declared the championship open via video conferencing, describing the event as the beginning of a new chapter for Yoga and stating: "Every living tradition enters new phases with time. This World Championship of Yogasana Sports marks the beginning of such a new phase."
Modi also expressed India's ambition for Yogasana to be included in major multi-sport events, stating: "When India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and the Olympics in 2036, our ambition is to see Yogasana become part of these global sporting events."
The ceremony was also attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Harsh Sanghavi (Minister of State for Home, Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities, Government of Gujarat), and Swami Ramdev (President, World Yogasana).
On the eve of the championship, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the event on his social media accounts, writing: "Yoga is gaining tremendous popularity across the world! Tomorrow, on 4th June, a very special competition, the 1st World Yogasana Sports Championship 2026 commences in Ahmedabad."
Participating nations
Over 500 athletes from more than 75 nations participated in the inaugural championship. Countries represented included the United States, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Argentina, Singapore, Oman, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Jordan, and many others.
Host India fielded its largest-ever Yogasana contingent of 122 athletes competing across all six age categories.
Age categories
Athletes competed across six age categories for both men and women:
Sr. No. |
Age Group |
Age Range |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Sub Junior |
31st Dec 2015 to 1st Jan 2012 |
2 |
Junior |
31st Dec 2011 to 1st Jan 2008 |
3 |
Senior |
31st Dec 2007 to 1st Jan 1998 |
4 |
Senior A |
31st Dec 1997 to 1st Jan 1991 |
5 |
Senior B |
31st Dec 1990 to 1st Jan 1981 |
6 |
Senior C |
31st Dec 1980 to 1st Jan 1971 |
The cutoff date for age calculation was the age of the athlete as of 1 January 2026.
Events
The championship featured 12 events. The contingent size per country per event was as follows:
Sr. no. |
Event |
Sub Junior |
Junior |
Senior |
Senior A |
Senior B |
Senior C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Traditional Yogasana |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
2 |
Forward Bend Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
3 |
Back Bend Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
4 |
Twisting Body Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
5 |
Leg Balance Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
6 |
Hand Balance Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
7 |
Supine Individual |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
8 |
Kalatmak Ekal |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
1 Athlete |
NA |
NA |
NA |
9 |
Kalatmak Yugal |
1 Pair |
1 Pair |
1 Pair |
NA |
NA |
NA |
10 |
Talatmak Yugal |
1 Pair |
1 Pair |
1 Pair |
NA |
NA |
NA |
11 |
Kalatmak Samuha |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
12 |
Traditional Group |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
1 Group (5 Athletes) |
NA |
NA |
Total |
12 |
12 |
12 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Men & Women |
24 |
24 |
24 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
Competition highlights
Day 1 (4 June 2026)
Host India made a dominant start to the inaugural championship, winning five of the first six gold medals on offer at the EKA Arena. West Bengal's Abhay Burman (Senior Male) and Ritu Mondal (Senior Female) set the tone for India with gold-winning performances in the Traditional Yogasana category. Burman secured India's first-ever gold medal at the World Yogasana Championships with a score of 63.42 points, finishing ahead of Indonesia's Arkan Riyanto (57.23, silver) and Uzbekistan's Alan (53.21, bronze).
Day 3 (6 June 2026)
India continued its dominant form on Day 3, taking its tally to 22 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze at the time of reporting. Nepal, Japan, and the United States each clinched their first gold medals of the championship on this day. Ritu Mondal became the first Indian athlete to win two gold medals at the championship, adding a team gold to her individual gold. Japan's Miyoko Kusunoki won gold in the Traditional Yogasana Senior C Female category with a score of 58.28, Nepal's Durga Panta won gold in the Forward Bend Senior C Female, and Kemi Blake of the USA won gold in the Back Bend Senior B Male.
Argentina moved to second spot in the overall standings thanks to Nabila Sol Barraza's two gold and two silver medals.
Day 4 (7 June 2026)
Gujarat's Heena Rajgor (a former Miss Gujarat Super Model winner) emerged as one of the standout performers of the championship, winning gold in the Forward Bend – Senior B Female category with a score of 43.50 points. By the end of Day 4, India had amassed 50 medals, including 40 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze. Japan secured second place overall following the addition of two more gold medals to its tally. Russia and Uzbekistan also recorded notable performances on this day.
Medal table
The following table reflects the medal tally as reported at the end of competitio.
Rank |
Nation |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
(hosts) |
102 |
9 |
3 |
114 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
11 |
|
3 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
|
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
|
5 |
1 |
36 |
15 |
52 |
|
6 |
1 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
|
7 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
14 |
|
8 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
|
9 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
10 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
|
11 |
0 |
12 |
14 |
26 |
|
12 |
0 |
8 |
13 |
21 |
|
13 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
|
14 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
|
15 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
16 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
17 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
18 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
19 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
20 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
21 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
|
22 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
|
23 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
|
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
29 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
29 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
29 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Totals |
115 |
117 |
114 |
346 |
|
Selected results
Traditional Yogasana – Senior Male
- Gold – Abhay Burman (India) – 63.42
- Silver – Arkan Riyanto (Indonesia) – 57.23
- Bronze – Alan (Uzbekistan) – 53.21
Traditional Yogasana – Senior A Female
- Gold – Ritu Mondal (India)
Traditional Yogasana – Senior C Female
- Gold – Miyoko Kusunoki (Japan) – 58.28
- Silver – Mahua Mondal (Oman) – 57.34
- Bronze – Amutha Rajuveloo (Romania) and Tetyana Tolbatova (Netherlands) – 55.97
Forward Bend – Senior C Female
- Gold – Durga Panta (Nepal)
Back Bend – Senior B Male
- Gold – Kemi Blake (United States)
Forward Bend – Senior B Female
- Gold – Heena Rajgor (India) – 43.50
- Silver – Preeti Jaimani (Oman)
- Bronze – Svetlana Lukashova (Russia) and Maya Al Alostath (Jordan)
Significance
The 1st World Yogasana Sports Championship was widely seen as a historic milestone in the effort to establish Yogasana as an internationally recognised competitive sport and to advance its potential inclusion in the Olympic Games. Speaking at the opening, Dr Jaideep Arya, General Secretary of World Yogasana, described it as "more than a competition; it is a defining moment in the evolution of Yogasana as a global sport."
Prime Minister Modi linked the event to India's broader sporting ambitions, citing the country's upcoming hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Summer Olympics, and expressing the hope that Yogasana would be included in both.
See also
- Yogasana
- Yogasana Super League