The 2nd Mt Everest International Yoga Championship, which will be held in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu from June 8 to 10, will be the first-ever such international competition for Saudi Arabia’s yoga team, according to Saudi Arabia-based Arab News.
The Saudi Arabian team landed in the city on June 1, where they are currently receiving specialized instruction from head coach Vijay Yadav. According to the news, Vijay Yadav has amassed more than 50 medals throughout his career, including five gold ones.
The Saudi Yoga Committee’s president, Nouf Al-Marwaai, expressed her pride in the group and her belief that they will perform better than other nations. The eight-year-old Bader Al-Ghamdi, the youngest athlete in the Kingdom, is on the team, along with Ahmed Shilati, Samaher Al-Malki, Jouda Sharaf, and Joud Abed, said Al-Marwaai.
The team was prepared for their first international title, said Al-Malki, a yoga instructor, at a news conference before they left. Al Malki, while talking to Arab News said, “We are ready to participate in the yoga championship in Nepal to raise the flag of Saudi Arabia. And the spread of yoga has become (important) for us. It is always better to start from a young age to practice this sport.”
Bader Al-Ghamdi expressed excitement about competing for his country in the junior division. He expressed his desire to take home a medal at the competition. Al-Ghamdi said that he loves yoga because it teaches him “how to breathe, how to exercise, and how to balance” and he added that his aim is to become a professional yoga player.
The team will perform well in the international competition, according to the executive director of the Saudi Yoga Committee, Ahmed Al-Saadi, who was quoted in the news as saying during the press conference. “The Saudi team has distinguished players and can help any coach in achieving good results because they have quality and intelligence.”
Al-Marwaai represented Saudi Arabia in the working group for civil society C20 under the framework of the G20 Summit scheduled to take place this year in India before she arrived in Kathmandu, according to Arab News. According to a statement on the G20 website, C20 offers a platform for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from all over the world to present a non-government and non-business perspective to G20.
According to the Arab News report, Al-Marwaai described it as an “honour” to participate in the international yoga programme in India, which has as its subject “One Earth, One Family, One Future Through Yoga.” She even thanked the Indian authorities and the event’s organisers for their “warm reception and exceptional hospitality” and wished India’s G20 Presidency success.
