Excise and Mines Minister Kollu Ravindra underscored the significance of incorporating yoga into daily life for both physical and mental health at the 6th National Junior and Senior-C Yogasana Championship held at PB Siddhartha Arts and Science College in Vijayawada on Monday,
He expressed pride in Vijayawada hosting a prestigious national yoga event and spotlighted Andhra Pradesh’s global recognition, citing a Guinness World Record achieved during International Yoga Day in Visakhapatnam, where 2.5 crore individuals participated, along with another milestone involving 22,000 tribal students performing Surya Namaskar.
Minister Ravindra credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for elevating yoga to the international stage, calling it a vital part of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage. “Yoga is a treasure we must safeguard and integrate into our development,” he stated.
He further noted that yoga competitions reflect India’s potential to shine globally, especially if yoga is included in the Olympics. “While China may currently dominate the medal tally, India will rise once yoga becomes part of the Olympic games,” he added, commending Yogasana Bharat’s role in motivating young people.
Gottipati Venkata Ramakrishna Prasad, honorary president of the State Yogasana Sports Association, mentioned that the championship was inspired by International Yoga Day celebrations led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, contributing to Amaravati’s growing prominence.
Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao also attended the event and showed keen interest in the competitions.
Winners in the Senior-C category included Prasuna (Andhra Pradesh), Ashma Das (West Bengal), Indrajeet (AIPS CB), Vinayak M Kongi (Karnataka), Archana Kavatekar (Maharashtra), and Binny Kumari Bala (Bihar).
Key figures from the association present at the event were A Radhika (President), Rajasekhara Reddy (Vice President), P Premkumar (General Secretary), and Kongara Sai (District President).
