Indonesia stood on the podium at history's first World Yogasana Sport Championship, held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, from 4 to 8 June 2026. Two athletes representing the Republic of Indonesia, both graduates of YogaFX International Yoga Teacher Training Academy in Bali, brought home a combined seven medals from the inaugural global event, an outcome confirmed publicly by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Jakarta (ICCR Jakarta) and by Indonesian local government and media coverage.
Mr. Arkan Fauzan Riyanto and Ms. Ivara Candra Kartika competed under the Indonesian flag at the championship, organised by the newly established World Yogasana Sports Federation, which has stated its ambition to see Yogasana included as an Olympic test event by 2032 and as a full Olympic discipline by 2036.
A Historic First for Indonesian Yogasana
The 1st World Yogasana Sport Championship marked the first time the sport has held a sanctioned global championship event, bringing together national teams to compete in standardised Yogasana categories judged on precision, alignment, and execution. Coverage of the event by Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that host nation India led the overall medal table, with athletes from multiple countries, including the United States and Indonesia, competing across the week-long event.
For Indonesia, the result was confirmed directly by ICCR Jakarta, the official Indian government body responsible for cultural relations with Indonesia, which posted publicly that Arkan Fauzan Riyanto and Ms. Ivara Candra Kartika "reached soaring heights at the 1st world yogasana competition held in Ahmedabad, India between 4 to 8 June 2026" with a combined Indonesian medal haul of 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Ms. Ivara Candra Kartika: Gold and Bronze on the World Stage
Ms. Ivara Candra Kartika, a 2023 graduate of YogaFX's Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training programme and now a teacher at YogaFX's Seminyak, Bali studio, capped an exceptional 2025 to 2026 season with a Gold and a Bronze medal in Ahmedabad. On her own verified Instagram account, Ms. Kartika describes herself as a "World Yogasana Champion representing Indonesia, in Ahmedabad, India," writing that she was "Grateful to bring home a Gold and Bronze Medal for Indonesia."
The Ahmedabad result followed a season of progressively higher-level competition for Ms. Kartika: a MasterClass Gold Medal at FORNAS VIII in Indonesia in July 2025, followed by Silver at the Asian Yogasana Championships in the United Arab Emirates in August 2025, before her Gold and Bronze in Ahmedabad in June 2026.
Mr. Arkan Fauzan Riyanto: A Five-Medal Campaign
Mr. Arkan Fauzan Riyanto, a 2022 YogaFX graduate, competed for Indonesia in Ahmedabad and returned with five individual medals: two silver and three bronze. His result was independently reported by Indonesian local government and press outlets following his return. The official website of the Tangerang City Government reported that Mr. Riyanto, a yoga practitioner from Tangerang, "successfully brought home five medals at the World Yogasana Championship, described as the most prestigious yoga competition." Local Banten media outlets Banten Now and RMBanten independently confirmed the same five-medal result following his homecoming.
Mr. Riyanto's Ahmedabad result followed a strong run at FORNAS, Indonesia's National Sports Week, where he secured back-to-back Yoga Asana titles. The Tangerang City Youth and Sports Office (DISPORA) reported his "three-peat" at FORNAS across the 2022, 2023, and 2025 editions in the asana single category for the under-40 age group.
Beyond Competition: Building Indonesia's Yogasana Sport Infrastructure
The Ahmedabad results sit alongside a broader development in Indonesian Yogasana sport. Mr. Slamet Ariyanto, a 2024 YogaFX graduate, currently serves as Chairman of the Yoga Practitioner Association of Indonesia (PPYNI), the national organisation overseeing recreational yoga practitioners and competitions, and as the Indonesian Yogasana Team Manager responsible for national and international sporting events, including the team's participation in Ahmedabad.
Mr. Ian Terry, founder of YogaFX, was officially appointed Master Trainer of the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation in recognition of his contribution to the sport's development in the country. Mr. Terry has also engaged directly with international Yogasana sport leadership, including a meeting with the UAE Minister of Sports during the Asian Yoga Federation Championship in Dubai, and ongoing dialogue with the Chairman and board of the World Yogasana Sports Federation in Ahmedabad regarding the sport's long-term Olympic ambitions.
The Bigger Picture: YogaFX Graduates on the World Stage
Across National, Asian, and World Yogasana competition over the past several years, YogaFX graduates representing Indonesia have now accumulated a combined 12 medals: 5 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze. The two athletes' Ahmedabad results, won under the personal guidance of Mr. Terry as National Coach, mark the highest-profile result yet for Indonesian Yogasana sport at a global level, coinciding with the first edition of a championship its organisers hope will eventually sit on the Olympic programme.
For YogaFX, a Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training Academy based in Seminyak and Canggu, Bali, the results reflect a teaching pathway that has also produced over 1,000 graduates from more than 80 countries through its RYT 200-hour certification programme. More on the academy's training programmes is available on the course inclusions page.
Event and Medal Summary
| Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ivara Candra Kartika | FORNAS VIII, Indonesia — July 2025 | Gold (MasterClass) |
| Asian Yogasana Championships, UAE — August 2025 | Silver | |
| 1st World Yogasana Sport Championship, Ahmedabad, India — June 2026 | 1 Gold, 1 Bronze | |
| Arkan Fauzan Riyanto | FORNAS, Indonesia — 2022, 2023, 2025 (three-peat) | Gold |
| 1st World Yogasana Sport Championship, Ahmedabad, India — June 2026 | 2 Silver, 3 Bronze |
Ahmedabad results: Ivara Candra Kartika (1 Gold, 1 Bronze) and Arkan Fauzan Riyanto (2 Silver, 3 Bronze), combining for Indonesia's national total of 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 4 Bronze at the championship, as confirmed by ICCR Jakarta and independently corroborated by the Tangerang City Government and local Banten press.