Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha wants yoga in Asian Games

New Delhi, June 26

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha has proposed making yoga part of the Asian Games to raise its profile.

With India interested in hosting the 2026 Olympics, there’s a feeling that yoga’s inclusion in the Asiad could propel the ancient practice to the Olympics, too, if India is allotted the Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Accordingly, she has written a letter to Raja Randhir Singh, who is the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

“The world celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga on June 21 and the response to its universal has been overwhelming. People across nations have embraced yoga and drawn benefits,” Usha stated.

“I am confident that as the spiritual home of yoga and as Vishwaguru, India can campaign for the inclusion of the sport in the Asian Games and eventually the Olympic Games as well,” the IOA president added.

Usha informed that sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya also wants to see yoga in the Asian Games.

“He told me that the inclusion in the Asian Games would be the first step in taking the sport to the Olympics. We need our indigenous sport to be on such platforms,” she said.

The multiple-time Asian Games medallist pointed to the fact that “yoga as sport can be a very attractive proposition for broadcasters” given the fact that it was made part of the Khelo India Games and as well as the National Games.