Sirsa (Haryana) [India], June 19 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday attended a Yoga camp in Sirsa ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21 and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his strong advocacy for the observance of Yoga Day during his recent address at the United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing the gathering after participating in the Yoga camp, CM Saini highlighted the invaluable spirit behind the Yoga Day initiative and the ancient sages of Sanatan Dharma for the welfare of humanity.

'We all recognise the invaluable spirit behind the initiative our ancient sages of Sanatan Dharma undertook for the welfare of humanity... This journey of Yoga, rooted in an ancient art form, has today evolved into a global movement. It was PM Modi who first strongly advocated for the observance of International Yoga Day during his address at the UN General Assembly. Indeed, it was through his efforts that the United Nations passed a historic resolution in 2014 declaring June 21st as International Yoga Day... Today, every country and every individual across the globe is connected to Yoga, which is a matter of great pride for us all,' CM Saini said.

Earlier on Thursday, CM Saini met players who represented Haryana in the First World Yogasana Championship.

Congratulating the players on their achievement, the Chief Minister said that the Haryana Government is continuously working to promote yoga and yogasana and to provide better opportunities to players. He said that yoga is an invaluable legacy of Indian culture and that the State Government is committed to taking it to every section of society.

The Chief Minister also extended his best wishes to the players, encouraging them to continue their excellent performances and bring laurels to both the State and the nation in the future.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations organised the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing together around 800 yoga enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to mark the global observance of the ancient Indian practice.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's yoga guru, HR Nagendra, is scheduled to lead a major yoga gathering at Times Square on June 21. The event is being coordinated by the Consulate General of India in New York and is expected to attract large participation.

Further, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to lead the Yoga Day celebrations in West Bengal's Kolkata on June 21, with thousands of participants expected to join the event.

The International Day of Yoga resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014 and has been observed annually since 2015, drawing millions of participants across the globe and reinforcing yoga's role as a tool for health, harmony and well-being.

The proposal was first put forward by Prime Minister Modi during his address to the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2014.

Since the first International Yoga Day was celebrated in 2015, India has led the global observance through the Ministry of AYUSH with support from state governments, Indian missions abroad and various international organisations.

As countries prepare for this year's celebrations, Indian missions across the world have been organising outreach programmes involving the Indian diaspora and local communities to promote awareness about Yoga and its benefits. (ANI)