Kiwi Woman Wins Double Bronze at the World's First Yogasana Championship

An Auckland IT professional and mother of three has written a new chapter in New Zealand sporting history, securing two bronze medals at the inaugural World Yogasana Sports Championship in Ahmedabad, India.

Kamini Maganlal, who initially took up yoga just three years ago to maintain her wellbeing, competed against 522 athletes from 79 countries in a grueling five-day event opened by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Maganlal claimed third place in the world in both the forward bending and supine categories within the Senior C Female division for women aged 45 to 55. Her achievement marks the first time a New Zealand practitioner has stood on the podium at a global competitive yogasana event.

While the general public often associates yoga with casual studio mats and relaxed Sunday mornings, competitive yogasana is an exacting athletic sport. Athletes perform structured sequences of postures under the strict scrutiny of trained judges and a cutting-edge Electronic Scoring System, which was used globally for the very first time at this championship.

Competitors are evaluated on precise margins, including flexibility, balance, stability, endurance, precision, and physical control. Maganlal admitted that the prospect of competing against top international athletes from much larger nations was initially daunting. However, she noted that once she arrived at the five-day competition, the long hours of practice she had put into the sport over the years allowed her to feel comfortable, thrive, and represent New Zealand on the world stage with a smile.

Maganlal’s journey into the sport began under the guidance of her Auckland-based coach, Prema Nagesh. Within just a few months of starting, what began as a routine wellness practice quickly evolved into a serious dedication to the discipline and philosophy of yoga. When approached by World Yogasana to represent Aotearoa, Maganlal embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly. Balancing a successful career in information technology and raising three children, she integrated rigorous training into her daily life to prepare for the international stage.

With her historic medals secured, Maganlal is now shifting her focus toward building a lasting framework for the sport in New Zealand. Her participation in the inaugural championship has successfully established a pathway for future Kiwi practitioners to compete internationally. The timing is critical, as India has publicly stated its ambition to see yogasana included in the Commonwealth Games and, eventually, the Olympic Games. Looking ahead, Maganlal intends to engage with local yoga centers, organizations, and instructors to raise awareness of yogasana as both a discipline and a competitive sport. She is also advocating for the integration of yogasana into school sports programs, believing the practice provides the most benefit when started at an early age. Through these efforts, she hopes to build a stronger community to identify, mentor, and support talented local practitioners for future national and international events. Maganlal stresses that she does not pursue this work for personal recognition, but out of a deep belief in the practice, with the ultimate vision of seeing New Zealand become an active and respected participant in the global yogasana movement.