Saudi yoga team focus on more success after bagging medals at first international competition

Saudi Yoga Committee President Nouf Al-Marwaai instructs her yoga students at her studio in Jeddah. (AFP/File)

• Samaher Al-Malki claims gold in triumph in Nepal
• Government support is key to national team success, president of committee says

KATHMANDU: Saudi Arabia’s national yoga team are focusing on more success following the Kingdom’s five medals at their first international competition, the side’s president told Arab News on Monday.
Saudi Arabia was the only Gulf country participating in the Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship held in Kathmandu last week, competing against South Asian countries more traditionally associated with the practice.
Team member Samaher Al-Malki claimed gold at the tournament, in the 26-35 age group, as India dominated the contest with 11 wins in 12 categories.
Nouf Al-Marwaai, president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, told Arab News: “We impressed in the company of teams like India, Nepal, and Bangladesh where the players have practiced yoga since childhood.
“So we are really proud and we’re looking for more success.”
Saudi team members Badr Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed Shilati and Sarah Al-Amoudi claimed a silver medal, while Joud Abed bagged a bronze.
Al-Maarwai, who has been preparing the team for international competition since 2021, said government support was key to any future success.
She said: “We have great support from the Ministry of sport, and the Olympic Committee in Saudi Arabia. When I say support, I mean everything from financial, logistics, and a lot of things.
“We worked hard for the tournament. The government gave us support with three great trainers and we had an entire team with them to support them. We also had a training camp for eight days before the championship.
“We came prepared, even though we did not expect this and we are very proud of the achievement.”
Pushkar Raj Pant, a yoga teacher in Nepal, said that many South Asian countries were struggling due to a lack of support.
Pant told Arab News: “Not just in Nepal but in South Asian countries, these asanas (meditation poses) are engraved in our culture and tradition.
“Teams from this region are bound to dominate, but the lack of support from authorities has been a problem for us.
“It was a great achievement for the Saudi team. They beat countries like Nepal and India, who have been established in the practice of yoga for decades.
“Saudi has made a good start. Now, with better training and qualified manpower over a longer period, they can do even better.”