Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru has recently criticises yoga being included as a sport in the next Asian Games, scheduled for 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. On Sunday, 8th of September, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) declared that Yogasana would be included in the Games, but only as a matter of display. This decision was made after it was earlier agreed upon during the 44th General Assembly of the OCA. Furthermore, it was in the assembly that India’s Randhir Singh was elected as OCA president for the term 2024-2028.

Randhir stated, “Yoga will be a demonstration sport in Nagoya as the calendar for the 2026 Asian Games has already been made and approved.” He further added, "In 10 days, we have managed to convince all members and include yoga, which is being promoted by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is a risk of injuries in all other sports, but yoga is a sport that rejuvenates your body.”

Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India, and for the first time it will be presented as one of the parts of a major sporting event, the 2026 Asian Games. Yoga and spreading awareness of yoga have been one of the major strategies of the current Modi-led government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting the idea of the annual International Yoga Day on the 21st of June in September 2014, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Criticises Yoga
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However, renowned yogi and the founder of the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, warned that yoga shall not and should not be turned into a sporting affair. He also stressed that yoga is not about competition but the way to attain self-realization and spiritual advancement.

Sadhguru shared his thoughts on X and said, “It is deeply disturbing and disappointing that #Yoga is entering an arena that is essentially a competitive sports arena. Yoga cannot be a competition. Yoga is a powerful tool and mechanism for self-evolution—to raise a human being from limited possibilities to unlimited perception and experience of life. This should not be done in competition with somebody else.”

He further said, "The fundamentals of yoga are about consciousness, not about comparison and competition. Hope, as a civilization that gave birth to the science of yoga, will have the wisdom to ensure that it does not become a ridiculous sport.”

On the other hand, the newly elected OCA president is equally convinced that yoga needs to justify its relevance during the Nagoya Games scheduled to be held in 2026 in order to clinch a place for a medal event for the 2030 Asian Games.He stressed that its inclusion in the volume would be based on its performance and reception during the demonstration at the next event. Randhir stated, ”In Nagoya, yoga has to make its presence felt. We have to tell other nations about the benefits of yogasana. We need to send instructors and teach other nations and make it popular.”

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