Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs A.C. Moideen has said that the government will seriously consider including yoga in the school-level sports curriculum. “Yoga, which is based on Indian tradition, is definitely a science of our body and mind,” he said.
Mr. Moideen was addressing a gathering at the hockey stadium here on Wednesday after inaugurating the two-day maiden State-level yoga championship organised by the Yoga Association of Kerala.
‘No religious link’
The Minister said yoga had already been recognised by the State government and the State Sports Council as a sports event.
“At the same time, care should be taken to ensure that yoga is not linked with any religion.”
Yoga had earned global recognition as a heath mode that all sections of people could practise to keep themselves healthy, the Minister said. Considering this fact, the Union Ministry of AYUSH had included yoga as a method medical treatment, he said. He said that yoga, if practised well, had the potential to create a healthy society.
‘Apt exercise’
It had also been accepted as an apt indoor exercise. Mr. Moideen said this year the State government had allocated ₹500 crore for promotion of sports. There would be a sports complex in all the 14 districts and land for the purpose had been identified in eight districts.
The inaugural function was presided over by the president of the association, B. Balachandran.
