After successfully hosting several national and international hockey and other indigenous sporting events, Odisha is now going to host the first Physical National Yogasana Sports Championships 2021-22.
Organised by the National Yogasana Sports Federation (NYSF), in association with the Odisha Government; the championships will be held in Bhubaneswar from November 11 to 13. Over 500 bright and young Yogasana sports athletes from across 30 States will participate in this path breaking event.
In its endeavour to create a global brand of Yogasana as Competitive Sport with high standards and benchmarks and supporting India’s vision to make Yogasana as a sport with an Olympic Roadmap, the National Yogasana Sports Federation (recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India) is consistently building a strong culture of fitness, competition, well-being, and growth through the practice and development of Yogasana.
“Sports has always been a priority sector for Odisha Government and under the leadership of visionary Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, the state has taken significant strides for the development and promotion of Sports. Today the world has recognized the state as India’s Sporting Capital,” said State Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera
“Our efforts are directed towards creating a holistic ecosystem that benefits sport and its athletes and nurtures a unique Indian sports culture amongst the youth. We are investing significantly in developing and upgrading our sports infrastructure,” he said
Behera said Yoga has become increasingly popular in recent years and is one of the most popular and trending forms of exercise in the world. This is the time for India to take yogasana as a competitive sport on the global sports stage.
The Minister further said, “Inspired by the great success of nurturing Indian hockey and other indigenous sports, now we see huge potential in promoting and nurturing Yogasana as a Sport. We are confident that India’s first Physical National Yogasana Championships organized by NYSF in Bhubaneswar will be a step forward in producing the next generation of world-class yogasana athletes and talents.”
Yogasana sport for both male and female categories has been included in Khelo India Youth Games, 2021. The Government of India’s recognition makes NYSF eligible for financial assistance for the conduct of national championships in all the categories, viz. Senior, Junior, and Sub-junior and participation in international sporting events.
Addressing the need to create a global brand of Yogasana as Sports Udit Sheth, President, NYSF said, “We are grateful to the unrelenting support of the Government of Odisha towards taking sport and Yogasana forward. With this first championship on-ground, we are all poised to create great coaches, curriculum and electronic scoring systems to benefit our sport in India and globally.”
Dr. Jaideep Arya, Secretary General, NYSF said, “As the dynamic world demands for a healthy and fit future generation, it is high time for the sports communities across the globe to recognize and popularize Yogasana as a sport. We are excited and grateful to work with the Odisha Government that has been working tirelessly to support this first championship.”
Formed in December 2020, NYSF has significantly and rapidly gained momentum and successfully launched the first National Yogasana Championships in a short span of 3 months.