Trailblazing Yogasana Athlete Aarti Pal Breaks Barriers, Nominated for Prestigious Arjuna Award

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New Delhi: Aarti Pal's rags-to-riches story is a testament to the transformative power of yoga. The 34-year-old yogasana athlete, who overcame poverty and lack of resources to become India's leading yogasana athlete, has made history by becoming the first yogasana athlete to be recommended for the prestigious Arjuna award. Aarti's journey began in 2004 when she was introduced to yoga at her school in Indore. She quickly fell in love with the practice and began competing at age-group meets, earning rewards, awards, and medals that helped her family invest in her passion. Thanks to yoga scholarships, Aarti was able to pursue higher education, earning a master's degree in yoga education and a PhD from Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University in Nagpur. Aarti credits her success to her late coach, Atmaram Tiwari, and her current mentor, Jaideep Arya, who is also the secretary general of Yogasana Bharat. She has won gold at the nationals every year since 2022 and took home twin gold medals at the second Asian Yogasana Sport Championship in April. The recognition of Aarti's achievements is a significant milestone for the sport of yogasana, which was formally recognized by the sports ministry only five years ago. Yogasana Bharat president Udit Sheth hailed the recognition, saying it proves that the sport is moving in the right direction. Sheth is confident that yoga will make its Olympics debut in the near future, citing the success of other sports like wushu, taekwondo, and sepak takraw. Aarti's story is an inspiration to many, particularly her two younger sisters, who have also taken up yoga and compete at the national level. The sports minister will ratify the selection before it is officially announced, and Aarti will be among 24 athletes, including teenage chess star Divya Deshmukh and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, who have been recommended for the Arjuna award.