700 to take part in National Yoga Meet

Participants practising on the eve of the 27th National Yoga Championship in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

CHANDIGARH, October 15
More than 700 participants from 25 States and Union Territories will compete in the 27th National Yoga Championship being organized by the Indian Yoga Federation from October 17 to 19 at Sector 42 Badminton Hall here.
Haryana Chief Secretary, who is also the President of Indian Yoga Federation, Dharam Vir said that the this event aimed at promoting yoga physical exercises among youths. He said that the federation would give a proposal to the Chandigarh Administration to implement yoga in all the schools under the Education Department.
The IYF president said that the State Bank of India and Indian Oil Corporation were the co-sponsors of the Nationals.
Pradeep Mehra, Advisor to the Administrator Chandigarh, will inaugurate the championship on October 17 while Haryana Governor Dr. A R Kidwai will distribute the prizes on October 19.
Dharam Vir said that on the first day, the inaugural ceremony would by followed by the first round of competition in sub-junior and junior boys and girls category. In the evening, a general body meeting of the federation would be convened in which International programmes of yoga seminars, conferences and competitions would be discussed. Every night, cultural events would be conducted by the participants, representing their State and promoting national integration, he added.
He further said that the penultimate day would start with final rounds of competitions for elderly men and women. Before noon, the first round of competitions in senior boys category would be conducted. In the evening the finals of sub-junior boys and girls and junior boys and girls category and also finals of veteran age groups competitions were scheduled. He also said that the young boys and girls would exhibit complex yoga postures on the final day.
Dharam Vir said that free board and lodging would be provided for all participants and officials by the federation. The female participants would be lodged in Shivalik Public School, Phase-I, Mohali while the male participants at Pursuram Dharamshala, S.D. Dharamshala, Mahajan Dharamshala in Sector 37 and Aggarwal Dharamshala in Sector 30.