OCA interim prez Randhir Singh hopeful of Yoga's inclusion in Asian Games 2026

New Delhi: Former shooter and Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Randhir Singh on Thursday said that Yoga is likely to be included in the Asian Games 2026, which will be hosted by Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

The Sports Committee and Executive Board have already passed the proposal, which will be further discussed in the General Assembly of OCA scheduled for Sunday.

"Yoga is an Indian sport and our Sports Committee and Executive Board have already passed the proposal for inclusion. On Sunday, we are having the General Assembly here in New Delhi, so we will advocate for the inclusion of the game and we are hopeful that it will be included in the upcoming Asian Games," Randhir Singh told IANS.

The OCA Acting President also urged the National bodies of cricket to send their best teams for the Asian Games to make it more competitive, citing that being played at the Asian Games will help in the growth of the game.

At the Asian Games, cricket made its debut as a medal event in 2010 and was contested again at the next edition in 2014. The matches then were not accorded international status.

However, when the sport returned to the continental showpiece at Hangzhou 2023 after being dropped from the programme at Jakarta 2018, matches were accorded international status by the ICC, the global governing body for cricket.

India, making their Asian Games debut, clinched both titles at Hangzhou 2023.

"There are many Games that we are planning to include in the Games. We saw cricket in the last edition and it attracted much attention to the Games, but if we don't send our best team to the Games, how we are gonna make it competitive? So, to make it competitive, I urge every National body of the sport to send their best team to the Games," he added.