International Yoga Day celebrated with gusto in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): The ninth International Yoga Day was celebrated with great fanfare in many parts of Karnataka on Wednesday.
Thousands of people took part in the event aimed at promoting good health with sound mind. The theme of Yoga Day this year is Yoga Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'.
The main event took place on the grand steps of the imposing Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru where Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao took part.
Swami Vachanananda, who is famed as 'Shwasa Guru', guided the gathering to perform yoga. A large number of government employees, students and social activists took part in the morning programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Gehlot said yoga that originated in the country has been the part of Indian tradition for a very long time.
The popularity of yoga could be assessed from the fact that people across the globe are adopting it for better health.
Greeting people on the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted: "Let's practice Yoga for mental and physical health, regardless of caste, religion, creed and ideologies. Happy International Yoga Day to all."
In his message, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said yoga is the union of body and mind.
"The combination of body and mind is Yoga. Our culture, heritage lies in Yoga. Practicing Yoga everyday is a healthy lifestyle habit. Happy International Yoga Day to everyone in the state," Shivakumar tweeted.
Yoga Day was celebrated in Mysuru on the premises of the famous Mysuru Palace. The event was celebrated in various district headquarters such as Koppal, Ballari, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Davangere and Hubballi-Dharwad.
The Karnataka unit of BJP marked International Yoga Day with a programme at its state headquarters 'Jagannath Bhavan' in Bengaluru, the party said in a statement.
"Yoga is a valuable contribution of ancient science of India. It symbolizes the unity of mind and body. A holistic approach to health and wellness. Happy World Yoga Day to all. #YogaForVasudhaivaKutumbakam #InternationalYogaDay2023," the state unit of the party said on its Twitter handle.
In the port city of Mangaluru, International Yoga Day was celebrated at Town Hall that was inaugurated by state BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
Mangaluru City mayor Jayananda Anchan, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan, MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath and Bharath Shetty among other dignitaries attended the programme.
Students of various schools and colleges, members of yoga organisations and others performed different postures on the occasion.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
