Ahmedabad: Thousands of kilometres from Buenos Aires and the football-crazy land of Lionel Messi, Argentina’s lone representative at the inaugural World Yogasana Championships found inspiration from an Indian sporting icon as she scripted one of the standout performances of the competition.
Argentina’s Nabila, who returned home with five medals from the championships in Ahmedabad, said Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has been a source of motivation because of the way he has carried his country’s name onto the global stage.
“He is a star here in India and he put the country in all the news everywhere around the world. I imagine his career because he is really hardworking and has put your country there. It means a lot, so I try to be inspired by that,” Nabila told PTI Videos.
Competing in the country where Yogasana was born, Nabila admitted she arrived without any high expectations, making her five-medal haul all the more special.
“For me, it was really a shock because coming here I didn’t expect to have a lot of medals. Of course, India is the place that gave birth to this sport. I expected them to take first place. But just to be so close to them, I’m really happy,” she said.
“I’m still in shock that I won five medals. This takes me to the next step to keep improving, train other people and inspire others.”
The achievement was the culmination of a journey that began nearly a decade ago.
Nabila said she first started learning yoga nearly nine years ago in Argentina with a university colleague before deepening her understanding after travelling to India almost five years ago.
“I have spent these five years studying, training and taking this experience altogether,” she said.
Representing Argentina on the world stage carried its own pressure, but she said the experience eventually became one of pride and joy.
“For me, it really is an honour to represent my country. Putting my country there in the top three is a really, really big honour. I’m so happy for that.”
The championship also strengthened her resolve to expand Yogasana’s footprint in Argentina, where she believes the sport is still at a foundational stage.
“Now, with this huge event, we can start to talk about Yogasana and explore it more in my country,” she said.
“My goal is to develop the structure of Yogasana sport in my country, grow the federation, bring more people to compete here in India and in other countries.”
Nabila described the championships as a learning experience, saying she drew inspiration from athletes across nations.
“It’s been amazing to see every athlete giving their best. I’m taking a lot from what they performed on the stage, a lot of friends and many things to keep improving.”
She also praised the organisers for hosting what she called a world-class event.
“They put all the effort into making this event huge and an example for the future. The accommodation and everything was five-star. They were warm, helpful and very welcoming,” she said.
The memories, Nabila added, will stay with her long after the medals.
“For me it was incredible. Really. I didn’t expect this. It’s a huge memory that I will keep in my heart always,” she said.
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