A special event marking the first International Yoga Day was held in Egypt and was attended by people from all walks of life, including Egyptian officials, celebrities and Indians in Cairo. The guest of honour at the event organised by the Indian Embassy was the well-known Egyptian football player Emad Meteb, who was representing his leading football team Al-Ahly. "Yoga is the pundit that brings peace and harmony to us and makes a balance between the body, the mind and spirit," Indian Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya said during the event. "The practice of yoga brings people together and creates a sense of balance in our interaction with the environment around us," said the Ambassador, who has only came to Egypt a month ago and described the country as his "second home". The event, which falls during the holy month of Ramadan, took place in the evening after Iftar and featured yoga classes by Indian and Egyptian trainers as well as some shows by children and young trainees. Around 14 Egyptian schools of yoga joined the celebration, which was held at India House in Zamalek. In the run up to the International Day of Yoga, the Embassy had also organised a photography competition entitled ‘Yoga in Egypt'. Three Egyptian winners of the competition were honoured during the event. The United Nations General Assembly, (UNGA), had earlier approved by consensus, with the support of a record 177 co-sponsoring countries, a resolution to establish June 21 as ‘International Day of Yoga'. In its resolution, the UNGA recognised that yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and recommended the wider dissemination of information about the benefits of Yoga for the health of the world population. Maulana Azad Centre, the cultural wing of the Embassy had organised four yoga sessions on Common Yoga Protocol on June 4,6,11 and 13 at their premises. Last April, it also organised yoga classes as part of the mega cultural festival India by the Nile which was held in different cities in the country.
