IOA president PT Usha pitches for inclusion of Yoga in Asian Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha on Wednesday pitched for the inclusion of Yoga in the Asian Games as India seeks to raise the popularity of the exercise form.

She urged the Asian sports community to include the Indian ancient discipline in the Asiad in a letter to Raja Randhir Singh, president of the Olympic Council of India.

Usha said the world has embraced Yoga, thanking PM Narendra Modi's vision.

"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 said in the letter.

Adding further, “ People across nations have embraced yoga and drawn benefits. 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,”.

Dr Usha pointed out that the Louvre Museum in Paris will offer visitors a chance to take part in yoga sessions with instructors ahead of the Olympics next month.

“It is heartening that the Louvre is welcoming yoga. It is our responsibility to make the sport gain recognition by getting it included in the Asian Games and Olympic Games,” she said.

“ Yoga as a sport can be a very attractive proposition for broadcasters. Yoga has been a part of the Khelo India Games. Seeing its success, the National Games organisers in Goa included yoga, including mallakhambh and yoga asanas as part of the programme. I am sure that the Olympic Council of Asia will find good reason to accept my proposal," the IOA president added.

The newly elected Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Mansukh Mandaviya also expressed his interest in including Yoga in the Asian Games.

To this Usha said, “He told me that he sees 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,”.