India completes golden century at World Yogasana C’ships

AHMEDABAD, JUN 8 (NPN): Hosts India capped a dominant campaign at the inaugural World Yogasana Championships by amassing 114 medals, including an unprecedented 102 gold medals, to underline their supremacy at the EKA Arena on Monday.
According to the organisers, India signed off the five-day championship with a century of gold medals and a total haul of 114 medals, comfortably topping the medal standings. Japan finished a distant second with three gold, three silver and five bronze medals, while Argentina secured third place through the remarkable performance of its lone representative, Nabila Barraza, who won two gold and three silver medals to emerge as the most successful individual athlete of the championships.
The organising officials stated that Nepal was the second most successful contingent in terms of total medals won, collecting 52 medals comprising one gold, 36 silver and 15 bronze medals. Uzbekistan followed with 25 medals, including one gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals.
They informed that a total of 522 athletes from 79 countries participated in the inaugural edition, with competitors from 31 nations winning at least one medal. Of these, athletes from 10 countries succeeded in claiming at least one gold medal.
The organisers described the championships as 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. They noted that the event was held in Ahmedabad, the designated host city of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
According to the organisers, the World Yogasana Championship 2026 was supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Ayush, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism and the Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association, helping establish Yogasana as a global sporting discipline and paving the way towards Olympic recognition.
They stated that India fielded a 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, Yogrishi Swami Ramdev Ji Maharaj, President of World Yogasana, described the World Yogasana Championship as the beginning of a global movement. He said the championship was not the destination but the start of a worldwide movement, adding that yoga was not merely a sport but a way of life and a path towards health, harmony, peace and human unity. He said every athlete participating in the event was not only a champion but also an ambassador of yoga to the world.
Ramdev further stated that while medals and champions were being celebrated today, the larger goal was to create a world connected through yoga. Expressing confidence in the future of the discipline, he said the journey that began in Ahmedabad would one day take Yogasana to the Olympic stage and inspire generations across the globe.
The organisers said the championships became a melting pot of cultures, with athletes experiencing Indian hospitality while learning about the history and evolution of Yogasana.
Armenia’s Sona Soghayan, who took up yoga during her second pregnancy three years ago, said she was amazed to witness the sport receiving such a major platform in India. She said she would carry many pleasant memories from her first visit to the country and expressed hope that she would promote yoga among her friends in Armenia, noting that the discipline contributed significantly to overall wellbeing.
On the final day, India continued its domination by securing gold medals across multiple categories. In Artistic Pair events, Ishika Guchhait and Ishanvi won gold in the Sub-Junior Female category, while Deepa Lodhi and Sima Niopane triumphed in Junior Female and Ayush Bhowmik and Om Dehankar claimed gold in Junior Male.
In Rhythmic Pair Senior Female, Indu Mathuria and Devi secured gold for India.
India also swept the top honours in Leg Balance Individual, Hand Balance Individual, Back Bend Individual, Twisting Body Individual and Supine Individual categories through outstanding performances by Salini Dey, Arthav Singh Negi, Shilpa Das, Gokarna Sharma, Risha Shetty, Raj Cajole, Anika Rana, Adarsh, Subhajit Karmakar, Madhu Verma, Drona and Riya respectively.
The comprehensive medal-winning performances on the final day completed India’s historic golden century and brought the curtain down on a highly successful inaugural edition of the World Yogasana Championships.