India win five of first six gold medals at World Yogasana Championships
India made a dominant start to the inaugural World Yogasana Championships 2026 in Ahmedabad, winning five of the first six gold medals. Abhay Burman, Ritu Mondal, Ritu Thakur, Roshan Thapa and Jyoti Deurkar led the hosts’ impressive medal haul
Hyderabad: 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 on Friday.
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.
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 the day 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.
