Abhay Burman, Ritu Mondal of Bengal start India's golden run at World Yogasana C'ships
Ahmedabad, June 5
Hosts India delivered a commanding performance in the inaugural World Yogasana Championships 2026, clinching five of the first six gold medals on offer to underline their dominance in the sport's biggest-ever global showcase at the Eka Arena in Ahmedabad.
West Bengal's Abhay Burman (senior male) and Ritu Mondal (senior female) set the tone for the hosts with gold medal-winning performances in the Traditional Yogasana category, sparking a remarkable run for the Indian contingent before an enthusiastic home crowd.
Burman secured India's first gold medal of the World Yogasana Championships with a score of 63.42 points. He was comfortably ahead of Indonesia's Arkan Riyanto (57.23), who claimed silver, while Uzbekistan's Alan took home the bronze medal with 53.21 points.
Reflecting on his historic achievement, Burman said, "Winning the first gold medal of the inaugural World Yogasana Championships for India is a moment I will cherish forever. Competing at home in front of such passionate supporters gave me immense confidence, and I am proud to contribute to India's strong start in this historic event."
Ritu Mondal followed with another gold for India in the senior female category, scoring 64.33 points. Kazakhstan's Aizhan Kuanyshbayeva (58.97) secured silver, while Hong Kong's Lam Nga Man (56.98) earned bronze.
Describing the significance of the occasion, Mondal said, "This championship is a landmark moment for every Yogasana athlete. Winning a medal for India is a dream come true. I began training at the age of 12, and after eight years of hard work and dedication, achieving this at 20 makes the moment even more special. I would like to thank my coach, manager, and the entire team for guiding and supporting me throughout this journey."
The only event not won by India came in the Senior A Male category, where Singapore's Nathaniel Tan Leong An topped the podium with 55.37 points to prevent a complete Indian sweep. Tanzania's Karimu Swafi claimed silver with 54.99 points, while India's Sumir Gnawali secured bronze with 54.00 points.
India quickly returned to the top as Ritu Thakur captured gold in the Senior A Female category with 63.50 points, edging Argentina's Nabila Sol Barraza (62.04), while Kenya's Awuor Saulinha took bronze.
Roshan Thapa added another gold medal to India's tally by winning the Senior B Male category with an impressive score of 65.67 points. Bangladesh's Md Mamun Khan Babu (58.57) and Kyrgyzstan's Danil Rykov (53.55) finished second and third, respectively.
The hosts rounded off with Jyoti Deurkar claiming gold in the Twisting Body Individual Senior B Female category, scoring 46.14 points ahead of Oman's Olimuthu Navamani and Japan's Saori Kyuei.
The inaugural World Yogasana Championships marks a historic milestone in the evolution of Yogasana, transforming an ancient Indian practice into a globally competitive sporting discipline while strengthening its pathway towards Olympic recognition.
The World Yogasana Championships 2026 is supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Ministry of Ayush, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism, and Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association, reflecting a collective commitment towards establishing Yogasana as a global sporting discipline and advancing its Olympic aspirations.
Hosts, India, have fielded a 122-member contingent, with athletes competing across six age categories - Sub-Junior Men and Women (10-14 years), Junior Men and Women (14-18 years), Senior (18-28 years), Senior A (28-35 years), Senior B (35-45 years) and Senior C (45-55 years).
Results:
Traditional Yogasana
Senior Male: Gold - Abhay Burman (India) 63.42; Silver - Arkan Riyanto (Indonesia) 57.23; Bronze - Alan (Uzbekistan) 53.21
Senior Female: Gold - Ritu Mondal (India) 64.33; Silver - Aizhan Kuanyshbayeva (Kazakhstan) 58.97; Bronze - Lam Nga Man (Hong Kong) 56.98
Senior A Male: Gold - Nathaniel Tan Leong An (Singapore) 55.37; Silver - Karimu Swafi (Tanzania) 54.99; Bronze - Sumir Gnawali (India) 54.00
Senior A Female: Gold - Ritu Thakur (India) 63.50; Silver - Nabila Sol Barraza (Argentina) 62.04; Bronze - Awuor Saulinha (Kenya) 53.86
Senior B Male: Gold - Roshan Thapa (India) 65.67; Silver - Md Mamun Khan Babu (Bangladesh) 58.57; Bronze - Danil Rykov (Kyrgyzstan) 53.55
Twisting Body Individual
Senior B Female: Gold - Jyoti Deurkar (India) 46.14; Silver - Olimuthu Navamani (Oman) 38.66; Bronze - Saori Kyuei (Japan) 38.41.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Really inspiring to see young athletes like Ritu Mondal (only 20!) winning gold after training since age 12. This is the kind of story our media should highlight more often. But I hope the focus remains on the essence of yoga and not just medals. 🙏
Excellent performance by our athletes! 5 gold medals out of 6 is domination. But I'm curious about the scoring system - how do they judge yogasana? It's not like gymnastics where you have clear criteria. Hope the federation is transparent about it.
As someone who practices yoga regularly in the US, it's amazing to see this becoming a competitive sport. India truly deserves this dominance - after all, yoga originated there. Congratulations to all the medalists!
Great to see West Bengal and Jharkhand athletes doing well. But I'm a bit skeptical about the "Olympic recognition" angle. Yogasana is about inner peace and wellness, not competition. Commercializing it might dilute its spiritual essence. Just my two paise.
This is wonderful news! India is clearly the powerhouse of yogasana. 122-member contingent is huge. The level of competition must be incredible. Kudos to all the athletes and especially the ones who won medals. 🇮🇳
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