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Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on May 26 said Yogasana would be included as an indigenous sport when India hosts the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The minister made the announcement on the sidelines of the launch of the inaugural World Yogasana Championship, scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad from June 4 to 8.

“When the Commonwealth Games are organised in India in 2030, Yogasana will also be given a place in it as an indigenous sport,” Mandaviya told reporters.

Calling yoga a part of India’s culture and way of life, he said the upcoming championship would mark the beginning of a global expansion for the sport.

More than 75 countries and over 500 athletes are expected to participate in the first edition of the World Yogasana Championship. Competitions will be held across several categories, including Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana, Rhythmic Pairs and Team Events, with junior, youth and elite divisions competing under internationally standardised rules.

The championship is being supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Ayush, the Sports Authority of India, Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism and the Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association.

Organisers see the event as a significant step in Yogasana’s push for inclusion in major international multi-sport events and eventual recognition at the Olympics.