Yoga with adrenaline

Yoga is ready to step onto global stage as a competitive sport

- VAISHALI DAR

FOR CENTURIES, YOGA HAS been revered as an ancient spiritual and physical discipline to harmonise the body, mind, and soul.But now yoga is a recognised competitive sport.

Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced plans to formalise yoga as a competitive sport. The initiative, led by the UAE yoga committee under the ministry of sports, marks a significant milestone, not only for the region but also for the global yoga community. The UAE will become the first Gulf nation to give yoga full sporting recognition and develop a national framework for its promotion and regulation. According to reports, the UAE yoga committee is already working on a roadmap to host major international events, including the Asian Yogasana Championship in Fujairah. The committee's agenda includes drafting formal competition rules, training local Emirati referees and coaches, and integrating yoga into school and youth sports systems.

This initiative also carries diplomatic and cultural resonance. With a large Indian expatriate population in the UAE, the move strengthens cultural ties between India and the Emirates.