HE al-Rumaihi, ambassador Arora, and al-Naimi release the commemorative stamp issued by Q-Post to mark the International Day of Yoga.
By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter
The first International Day of Yoga celebrations, hosted jointly by Qatar’s Youth and Sports Ministry and the Indian embassy, was attended by senior officials and hundreds of residents at Al Arabi Indoor Stadium last night.
The more than one-hour programme featured a demonstration by nearly 200 yoga exponents, spearheaded by expert yoga trainer Madhav Gopal, who was flown in from India to lead the events held as part of the celebrations in different venues in Qatar during last week.
To mark the occasion, the Q-Post launched a commemorative stamp which was jointly released by HE Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, Minister’s Assistant for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Sanjiv Arora, Indian ambassador; and Faleh Mohamed al-Naimi, chairman, Q-Post.
While recalling the events that led to India tabling the resolution at the United Nations General Assembly for adoption of June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, Arora said the country received unprecedented support from the member nations.
“It was one of the very few resolutions that received overwhelming support from the members as was proved by its co-sponsorship of no less than 177 countries, including Qatar,” said the ambassador. It was on December 11, 2014 that the UN resolution was adopted.
Arora also thanked HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdulla bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, and other members of the Qatari Cabinet for their support for holding the celebrations in the country with the active support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
While describing yoga as an integral part of the centuries-old traditions and heritage of India, the envoy said its rigorous practice helps one stay calm and relieve the stress and tension associated with their daily life.
The people who thronged the venue in large numbers cheered Sheikha Athba bint Thamer al-Thani, chief support services officer, QDVC, who made the occasion more memorable by addressing the gathering in Hindi, India’s national language. She received a standing ovation. Sheikha Athba also quoted from a speech delivered by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark the occasion.
While complimenting the people of India and its expatriates in Qatar, HE al-Rumaihi said the adoption of the International Day of Yoga was a great recognition to India and its millions of people. He also remembered the support extended by Qatar for the adoption of the resolution last year.
The day’s proceedings also featured a yoga demonstration. Among those prominent expatriates who demonstrated their yoga skills were R Seetharaman, Doha Bank Group CEO and Ravi Shankar, director of internal audit, Qatar Rail.
Florentina Morecescu, a yoga trainer from Romania, who conducts classes at one of the major residential compounds in Wukair attracted a lot of attention from the gathering.
The East European national told Gulf Times she has been performing yoga for the last few years and attended a training programme in Goa a couple of years ago.
“When I learnt about the celebrations from a few of my friends, I decided on my own to participate in the demonstration to held as part of the event,” said Morecescu.
Audio-visual presentations of the celebrations held in New Delhi, featuring Modi and his address on the occasion were made. Also on view were footage from the UN proceedings leading to the adoption of the resolution.
