Just a few yards from the madding crowds on the main streets of Yousufguda, about 2000 competitors showcase their amazing skills in yogasanas when the 39th National Yogasana championship was held at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium for three days last week-end.
Unlike the more glamorous sport which would have otherwise attracted media glare, these athletes were serving a dual purpose demonstrating both how important yoga can be for health and also how one can scale the heights of excellence in a competition.
The mega event was possible thanks to the initiative of R. Sridhar Reddy, president of Telangana Yoga Association.
Ironically not many were aware that the State capital has a world champion amongst them in the name of Jyoshnavi.
The audience who came to witness the championship were left stunned by the flexibility of the competitors who came up with some extraordinary postures that reflects the hours of practice they put in to come up with such feats.
The fact that Vicky Kumar Misra of Jharkhand is now a qualified coach in Vietnam and earning quite a decent pay packet reflects how yoga is fast becoming popular across the world.
“Well, thanks to the efforts of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi who saw to it that yoga is accepted by the United Nations members and there will be now a World Yoga Day on June 21 every year, it is bound to reach new levels,” feels Sridhar Reddy, himself a former basketball player.
Interestingly, there are the Asian and the World championships for yoga practitioners; these which are also big motivating factors to sustain their interest and also look far ahead by re-setting goals.
“Unlike any other sport, yoga doesn’t need any costly equipment. So, it would not be a bad idea if yoga is included in the school curriculum; it would double up in promoting health and a healthy competition,” feels K. Laxman, BJP floor leader in the Telangana State Assembly and also chairman of the organising committee.
