India Dominates at World Yogasana Championships with Record Gold Medals
India's Triumph at the World Yogasana Championships
Heena Rajgor, the former winner of Miss Gujarat Super Model, spearheaded India's impressive performance on the second last day of the inaugural World Yogasana Championships held at the EKA Arena. As of the latest updates, India leads the medal tally with a remarkable total of 50 medals, comprising 40 gold, eight silver, and two bronze. Japan follows in second place with three gold and a total of 10 medals, while Singapore ranks third with six medals, including two gold.
A Landmark Event for Yogasana
This inaugural championship signifies a pivotal moment in the journey of Yogasana, evolving from an ancient Indian practice into a competitive global sport. It aims to enhance its recognition within the Olympic framework. The 2026 World Yogasana Championship is backed by various governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Ministry of Ayush, and the Sports Authority of India, among others, to establish Yogasana as a recognized global sport.
Heena Rajgor, originally from Bhuj, Gujarat, and currently pursuing a PhD in Yoga, excelled in the Forward Bend event in the Senior B Female category, securing the gold medal with a score of 43.50 points. Preeti Jaimani from Oman earned the silver with 38.15 points, while Svetlana Lukashova from Russia and Maya Al Alostath from Jordan shared the bronze. Heena expressed her joy, stating, "Winning a gold medal at home is always special. After taking up competitive Yogasana post-COVID, I faced challenges, but focusing on my mental strength has yielded positive results."
Medal Highlights
While India dominated the gold medal count, Japan secured two additional golds, and both Russia and Uzbekistan claimed one gold each. Hisashi Watanabe and Tomoka Shimizu brought home gold for Japan in the Supine Individual Senior B Male and Leg Balance Individual Senior C Female categories, respectively. Svetlana Lukashova won gold for Russia in the Senior B Female Supine Individual category, while Kamolatdin Rakhmanov earned Uzbekistan's first gold in the Leg Balance Individual Senior C Male category.
Detailed Results
Artistic Single
Sub Junior Male: Gold -- Rohan Tayade (India) 110.13, Silver -- Prayaas Chauhan (Nepal) 43.39, Bronze -- Yaatheesh Krishanthan (Sri Lanka) 24.35
Junior Male: Gold -- Tripti Dongare (India) 112.63, Silver -- Stoian Andreea (Romania) 65.54, Bronze -- Kimani Blake (USA) 57.26
Senior Female: Gold -- Rudrakshi Bhave (India) 114.25, Silver -- Lam Nga Man (Hong Kong) 80.83, Bronze -- Chandani Pariyar (Nepal) 74.98
Senior Male: Gold -- Arjun Parmar (India) 99.50, Silver -- Batromeo Makumbi (Tanzania), Alan (Uzbekistan) 80.13, Bronze -- Osward Lifumbe (Zimbabwe), Veron Owino (Kenya) 67.09
Junior Male: Gold -- Ritika Bishnoi (India) 112.88, Silver -- Sandesh Dhital (Nepal) 64.74, Bronze -- Lathurshan Krishnakumar (Sri Lanka) 52.23
Supine Individual
Senior A Female: Gold -- Nisha Chawda (India) 38.92, Silver -- Nabila Barraza (Argentina) 36.15, Bronze -- Gwen Ong Cui Faan (Singapore), Sona Soghoyan (Armenia) 34.99
Senior A Male: Gold -- Vikash Lather (India) 39.59, Silver -- Karima Swafi (Tanzania) 37.92, Bronze -- Shakirov Dmitrievich (Uzbekistan) 36.44
Senior B Female: Gold -- Svetlana Lukashova (Russia) 38.62, Silver -- Amita Kumari (India) 37.46, Bronze -- Srijana Sreshta (Nepal) 36.88
Senior B Male: Gold -- Hisashi Watanabe (Japan) 41.79, Silver -- Rohit Chavan (India) 41.78, Bronze -- Danil Rykov (Kyrgyzstan) 38.82, Moataz Hindawi (Egypt) 38.82
Traditional Yogasana
Sub Junior Female: Gold -- Devanshi Garg (India) 62.58, Silver -- Suharika Karki (Nepal) 61.00, Bronze -- Aahana Goswami (Oman) 60.92
Forward Bend
Senior B Female: Gold -- Heena Rajgor (India) 43.50, Silver -- Preeti Jaimani (Oman) 38.15, Bronze -- Svetlana Lukashova (Russia), Maya Al Alostath (Jordan) 36.96
Leg Balance Individual
Senior C Female: Gold -- Tomako Shimizu (Japan) 31.84, Silver -- Doma Chanda (Mauritius) 30.47, Bronze -- Sudha (India) 30.30
Senior C Male: Gold -- Kamolatdin Rakhmanov (Uzbekistan) 37.33, Silver -- Sathish Kumar Gujarati (India) 36.35, Bronze -- Takuro Sato (Japan) 29.35.