US Team Heads To India For First World Yogasana Championship In Ahmedabad

An 11-member team of Yogasana athletes from the United States is travelling to India to participate in the first World Yogasana Championship , scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad from June 4 to 8.

The United States Yogasana Sports Federation (USYSF), in collaboration with the United States Yoga Association (USYA) and World Yogasana, announced the official Team USA delegation. The contingent will be led by USYSF and USYA founder and president Balwinder Singh.

The athletes were selected following quarterfinal trials conducted in Connecticut in April. The team includes participants in youth and senior categories, ranging in age from 10 to 55 years.

Ahead of their departure, the athletes visited the Indian Consulate in New York and met Deputy Consul General Vishal Harsh, who wished them success at the championship.

The event is expected to attract athletes, officials and representatives from more than 60 countries, reflecting the growing international interest in Yogasana as a competitive discipline. Participants will compete in seven categories, including artistic and rhythmic yoga events, where they will be judged on strength, flexibility, balance, endurance and precision under standardised international criteria.

Beyond the competition, the championship highlights India's efforts to establish Yogasana as a global sport while using yoga as an important instrument of cultural outreach and soft power. Over the past decade, India has actively promoted yoga worldwide through initiatives such as the International Day of Yoga, observed annually on June 21 following a United Nations resolution proposed by India in 2014.

By encouraging international participation and developing uniform competition standards, World Yogasana and affiliated organisations aim to transform traditional yoga practice into a structured sporting discipline. The initiative is also intended to strengthen India's cultural influence by presenting yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India, as a modern platform for wellness, sporting excellence and international engagement.

Priti Dhariwal, a certified yoga instructor and member of the US delegation, said yoga is about finding inner peace and happiness. She highlighted its benefits through her work with senior citizens in New Jersey, including students in their nineties and even beyond 100 years of age who continue to practise yoga regularly.

The championship is being seen as a significant step in expanding the global recognition of Yogasana and fostering cross-cultural connections through sport and wellness.