World Yogasana Sports Championship 2026: Ahmedabad Event Facts
Why in the news
India is staging the first global tournament that treats yoga postures as a regulated competitive sport. The Prime Minister opens it by video link.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | 1st World Yogasana Sports Championship 2026 |
| Opened by | Prime Minister, virtually |
| Organisers | Yogasana Bharat together with World Yogasana Body and the Indian Olympic Association |
| Place | Ahmedabad, Gujarat (EKA Arena) |
| Duration | Five days |
| Athletes | 500-plus |
| Countries | 70-plus, e.g. USA, Japan, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nepal |
| Indian team | 122 members |
Aim
- Set common rules, scoring and governance for competitive yoga.
- Build a path for entry into the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Electronic Scoring System (ESS)
- The first such system in global yoga.
- Meant to remove personal bias from judging.
- Uses clear, uniform metrics for flexibility, balance and posture control.
Background on yoga
- Classical Indian discipline joining asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control) and dhyana (meditation).
- International Day of Yoga falls on 21 June, following a 2014 UNGA resolution moved by India.
- The Ministry of AYUSH (formed 2014) promotes yoga and traditional systems.
- The IOA is India’s apex sports body, recognised by the IOC.
Exam angle
- Venue: EKA Arena, Ahmedabad; duration five days.
- Novelty: electronic scoring in yoga for the first time.
- Yoga Day: 21 June, UNGA resolution of 2014.