Kenya has earned rare global recognition in the world of yoga after securing five bronze medals at the inaugural World Yogasana Sport Championship held in Ahmedabad, India, from June 4 to June 8.
While the country is best known internationally for its dominance in athletics, Team Kenya’s impressive performance at the global yoga competition has signaled the nation’s growing presence in wellness and mind-body sports.
The championship, which attracted participants from across the world, also provided a moment of pride for Kisumu after renowned yoga master Dr. Kalpana Karia received special recognition for her decades-long contribution to the promotion of yoga and wellness globally.
Dr. Karia, a respected community leader and former long-serving Chairperson of the Hindu Council of Kenya (HCK) Kisumu Chapter, was honoured during the event by celebrated yoga guru Swami Ramdev. The tournament was officially inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The recognition crowned a lifelong journey in yoga that began under the guidance of her father, Dhanjibhai Khagram. Her pursuit of excellence later took her to London, where she studied Radiotherapy, before advancing her yoga training in Rishikesh, India, at the globally acclaimed Sivananda Ashram near the Himalayas.
Despite earning international credentials and serving as a director of East African yoga studies for global federations, Dr. Karia has remained deeply committed to her home city of Kisumu.
For decades, she has offered yoga instruction free of charge, driven by her belief that physical and mental wellness should be accessible to everyone regardless of social or economic status.
Through her wellness platform, Yoga for Health, Dr. Karia conducts regular sessions across schools, corporate institutions, social clubs and special-needs centres, touching hundreds of lives every week.
Even after returning from India, where she received global acclaim, the veteran instructor resumed her community work without pause.
On Thursday evening, she is scheduled to lead a free yoga session at Nyanza Club from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. She will then conduct an early morning session at Kisumu Yacht Club on Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., before concluding the week with a youth-focused programme at Jalaram Academy from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The success of Team Kenya at the World Yogasana Sport Championship and Dr. Karia’s international recognition have strengthened Kisumu’s growing reputation as a regional hub for wellness and yoga.
For the hundreds of residents who regularly attend her free classes, Dr. Karia remains not only a globally celebrated yoga practitioner but also a community champion dedicated to improving lives through health, discipline and mindfulness.
