A team of 11 Yogasana athletes from the United States is set to compete in the inaugural World Yogasana Championship in Ahmedabad from June 4 to 8, joining participants from more than 60 countries at the global event.
The United States Yogasana Sports Federation (USYSF), in collaboration with the United States Yoga Association (USYA) and World Yogasana, announced the official Team USA delegation for the championship, according to a press release issued by Yoga Association USA.
USYSF founder and president Balwinder Singh will lead the American contingent, which was selected following quarterfinal trials held in Connecticut in April. The athletes, aged between 10 and 55, will compete across youth and senior categories.
Ahead of their departure, members of the US Yogasana team visited the Consulate General of India in New York and met Deputy Consul General Vishal Harsh, who conveyed his best wishes to the athletes for the championship.
The event is expected to bring together athletes, officials and representatives from over 60 countries, "advancing Yogasana as a globally recognised competitive sport while fostering international unity, wellness, and cultural exchange", the release said.
Competitors will take part in seven official Yogasana disciplines, including artistic and rhythmic yoga categories. Participants will be evaluated on strength, flexibility, balance, endurance and precision under globally standardised judging criteria.
The USYSF and USYA, both affiliated with World Yogasana, promote Yogasana as a competitive sport through athlete development, national competitions, education and international representation.
Priti Dhariwal, a certified yoga instructor and member of the official USYSF delegation, said yoga is more than physical exercise.
"It is about finding peace within yourself and creating happiness from within," she said.
Dhariwal has spent more than 20 years helping senior citizens in Bergen County, New Jersey, improve their physical, mental and emotional well-being through yoga, meditation and laughter yoga.
Among her students is Bernese, who celebrated her 106th birthday in May and continues to practise chair yoga and meditation twice a week. Another student, Norma Adams, will turn 92 this year and has been practising yoga on the mat for the past eight years.