ED officials perform yoga, engage in tug-of-war on National Sports Day

Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were found in a different mood at the agency's headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, shifting their attention from case files to stretching on yoga mats to mark the National Sports Day. For the agency’s officers, who are usually engaged in high-pressure investigations, the occasion offered an unusual respite.

At Friday's event, the officers took a fitness pledge and rolled out yoga mats for a session. The officials also participated in a round of tug-of-war, an unusual sight in the agency’s corridors. Laughter, competition and cheering filled the atmosphere, a contrast to the otherwise tense and serious tone of the workplace.

ED Chief Rahul Navin, while addressing the gathering, underscored the need for physical activity in the otherwise demanding nature of ED’s work. He urged officials to not only adopt exercise and yoga in their daily lives but also look at sports as a way to build camaraderie within the force.

“Fitness is not just about health, it also shapes outlook and efficiency,” Navin told the staff. He also suggested that teams be formed within the Directorate to compete in sports events, fostering both team spirit and discipline.

For an organisation often associated with raids, interrogations, and courtroom battles, the Sports Day served as a reminder that fitness and perhaps a little fun can help them handle the grind better.

The day, celebrated annually on August 29 to honour hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand also coincided with the sixth anniversary of the government’s Fit India Movement.

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