Kiwi Indian mum of three & IT professional wins double bronze for NZ at Yogasana championship

Among 522 competitors from 79 countries, Kamini Maganlal proudly draped herself in the New Zealand flag after winning two bronze medals in the Senior C Female category at the inaugural World Yogasana Sports Championship in Ahmedabad, India, held from June 4 to 8, 2026.

Representing New Zealand at the sport's first-ever world championship, the Auckland-based IT professional, wife and mother of three helped put the country on the international Yogasana map.

“It felt like the discomfort [after the competition] was all worth it,” Kamini shared with The Indian Weekender, reflecting on the experience.

She described representing New Zealand on the world stage as an “awesome” and a “proud moment”.

The five-day championship, opened by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brought together 522 competitors from 79 countries, making it one of the largest and most diverse events held in the emerging sport of competitive Yogasana.

Competing in the Senior C Female category (45–55 years), Kamini won bronze medals in the Forward Bend and Supine events. As one of the first medallists at the inaugural world championship, she has secured a place in the sport's history while helping raise New Zealand's profile internationally.

Kamini's path began only three years ago. Living in Auckland and working full-time in the IT sector, she initially took up yoga to maintain her health and wellbeing. Under the guidance of her coach, Prema Nagesh, what started as a personal wellness practice gradually developed into competitive Yogasana.

She now trains four times a week, but preparing for the world championship required an even greater commitment.

“For competition I was spending three to four hours everyday,” she said.

While yoga is widely associated with relaxation and wellbeing, competitive Yogasana is a physically demanding discipline requiring exceptional flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, precision and control. Athletes perform structured sequences of postures before qualified judges, with performances assessed against international standards.

Sharing her perspective on the discipline, Kamini said yoga is a form of exercise that “gives you a complete body workout. Yoga is not about stretching or relaxing, it gives you internal and external balance of breath and body work and builds strength as well.”

She says yoga has become an integral part of her life, supporting not only her physical fitness but also her mental wellbeing, mindfulness and overall balance.

Competing against athletes from countries with far larger participant bases was both an honour and a challenge, but Kamini's discipline enabled her to perform confidently on the world stage.

Kamini was also recognised for her achievement at the NZ Gujarati Sports and Cultural Association's (NZGSCA) Annual Grand Awards Night on 25 July, where she received a Special Recognition Award as one of four athletes representing New Zealand on the international stage.

Now, she hopes her achievement will inspire more New Zealanders to take up competitive Yogasana and help grow the sport through schools, community organisations and sporting programmes.

With Yogasana gaining international recognition and discussions continuing around its possible inclusion in future major sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, Kamini hopes more athletes will consider representing New Zealand.

“Start early,” she tells the young generation.

“My next task is to spread the word in the country and come up with a team of athletes to take them to the next Yogasana competition in Mauritius and in the Commonwealth.”