Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: A crowd of about 5,000 people took part in International Day of Yoga celebration in the Sultanate's capital on Thursday at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Organised by the Embassy of India in Oman, the event saw expats, citizens, diplomats, students and more learn about the benefits of and practiced yoga, with participants ranging from as young as five years old to 80 years old.
The Embassy was ably supported by the Government of Oman, which was represented by H.E. Mohammed Yousuf Qasim Al Zarafi, Under Secretary for Administration & Finance Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who joined the Yoga Session as its Chief Guest. The Government of Oman also made available the venue at a nominal cost.
Indian Social Club, Oman, and its 27 linguistic wings, Indian Schools in Muscat and 16 yoga organisations, including the Art of Living, extended their full support in motivating people from all walks of life and communities to join the Yoga Session.
Times of Oman's radio channel T FM, the media Partner, broadcast the celebration live. It had earlier helped in publising the event. Other print and audio-visual media, based in Muscat, also covered the Yoga Session. A number of Indian enterprises contributed in making various logistical arrangements and provision of Yoga mats and T-shirts.
The 4th International Day of Yoga 2018 was also celebrated in other key cities in Oman such as Sur, Sohar, and Salalah. The Embassy has been celebrating the International Day of Yoga since 2015 by organising mega Yoga Sessions in Muscat. While 3,500 persons had participated in the yoga session held in 2016, the number had swelled to over 4,000 in 2017.
Oman was also one of the co-sponsors of the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly which had declared in December 2014, at the initiative of Prime Minister of India, June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
A Joint Statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to Oman in February, 2018 had acknowledged the lead taken by the Government of India in celebrating the International Day of Yoga worldwide with a view to popularise yuoga, which is an ancient Indian tradition, among the people all over the world.
The Joint Statement read: "The Omani side congratulated the Indian side for the Indian Prime Minister’s initiative in declaration of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by the UN General Assembly in 2014 and thanked him for India's efforts in making Yoga popular in the world, including in Oman, which is aimed at creating a healthy and peaceful world. The Indian Prime Minister thanked His Majesty the Sultan for his Government’s support to celebration of International Day of Yoga in Oman, which attracts participation of thousands of yoga enthusiasts."
