DEHRADUN, Feb 5: Yogasana and mallakhamb are not just demonstration sports at ongoing National Games now and will offer medals, a decision which was taken on the request of the organisers, an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) source confirmed to PTI on Wednesday.
The IOA had classified the two games as demonstration sports ahead of the multi-sport event, which began on January 28.
In December last year, the IOA had said that the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand (January 28 to February 14) would feature 32 core and four demonstration sports — yogasana, mallakhambh, kalarippayattu and rafting.
But on Wednesday, the organisers issued a release in which yogasana and mallakhamb were added as medal sports.
The move meant that the ongoing National Games are being competed in 34 sports and two demonstration sports.
Kalarippayattu — a form of martial arts that originated in Kerala — and rafting — of which Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is a well-known place — will remain as demonstration sports (non-medal).
“Yes, they (yogasana and mallakhamb) were confirmed as medal sports by the IOA as the host (state) has a right to request two sports (as medal sports),” an IOA source told PTI.
Yogasana is a sport that focuses on the physical aspect of yoga, where players have to perform yogic postures and are judged on their difficulty, balance, control, flexibility and endurance.
Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian sport in which the practitioner performs yoga-like postures and movements on a vertical wooden pole or a rope. Mallakhamb is derived from the terms ‘malla’ which means a wrestler and ‘khamb’ meaning a pole.
As per the statement issued by the IOA in December last year, the Games were to feature 34 sports disciplines under the original Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the IOA and the Uttarakhand State Olympic Association in 2014.
However, IOA President PT Usha and the GTCC (Games Technical Conduct Committee) had approved 32 sports disciplines and four demonstration sports. (PTI)
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