Ahmedabad, June 4 : The 1st World Yogasana Sports Championship will take place in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, starting Thursday.

Hosted at the EKA Arena, the event brings together 400 athletes from more than 60 countries to compete in traditional, artistic, rhythmic pairs, and team Yogasana events.

The five-day event (June 4-8) will bring together participants from countries including the United States, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan, marking the first global championship for Yogasana as a competitive sport.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and said, "Yoga is gaining tremendous popularity across the world! Tomorrow, on 4th June, a very special competition, the 1st World Yogasana Sports Championship 2026, commences in Ahmedabad."

"This platform has brought together Yoga enthusiasts from around the world. It is a significant milestone on the global sporting roadmap for Yogasana. I will be joining the event via technology as well at around 6:40 PM tomorrow evening. My compliments to those who have organised such an innovative event and best wishes to all taking part," he added.

Supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Ayush, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Sports Authority of Gujarat, Gujarat Tourism, and the Gujarat Yogasana Sports Association, the championship is being seen as an important milestone in the effort to establish Yogasana as an internationally recognised sporting discipline.

Hosts India will field a 122-member contingent. Athletes will compete across six age categories -- Sub-Junior (10 to 14 years), Junior (14 to 18 years), Senior (18 to 28 years), Senior A (28 to 35 years), Senior B (35 to 45 years), and Senior C (45 to 55 years) for both men and women.

The competition will feature individual events, artistic events, and traditional group categories. The organisers will also introduce an electronic scoring system at the global level for the first time, aimed at improving transparency and consistency in judging.

The championship will be overseen by 32 international judges and 51 national judges.

Speaking ahead of the event, Yogasana Bharat president Udit Sheth said the championship would provide a major platform for athletes and help take Yogasana to a wider global audience.

"Delighted to see us hosting this pioneering World Yogasana Championship at Eka Arena, Ahmedabad, with 60-plus countries. Itâ??s a fantastic platform for the Indian national team and to take Yogasana sport to the world; perhaps Indiaâ??s greatest contribution to the world of sports," Sheth said.

World Yogasana general secretary Dr Jaideep Arya described the event as a landmark moment for the discipline.

"The World Yogasana Championship is more than a competition; it is a defining moment in the evolution of Yogasana as a global sport. For the first time, athletes from more than 60 countries will come together on one stage to demonstrate the athleticism, discipline, and artistry that Yogasana represents," he said.

The championship will begin with an opening ceremony on Wednesday. The competition will be broadcast live on Doordarshan from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and streamed on the broadcaster's YouTube channel from June 4 to 8.

/IANS