India to Host 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar

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The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said the World Athletics Council has allotted the 2028 Indoor Championships to India. "India will host the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar," the AFI president added. "The global competition will be held at Kalinga's Indoor Stadium."

The 2028 edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships was awarded to India on Thursday during the World Athletics Council meeting in Torun, Poland, which is the venue for the 2026 edition of World Athletics Indoor Championships scheduled to be held from March 20 to 22.

Wayback India hosted the World Half Marathon in New Delhi in 2004. Members of the World Athletics Council inspected Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Indoor Stadium in Odisha in January and were satisfied with the facilities.
Odisha is one of the main destinations for track and field in the country, Sagoo said. Apart from domestic competitions, Odisha has also been hosting international competitions.

The inaugural edition of the National Indoor Athletics Championships will be held at Kalinga's Indoor Stadium on March 24 and 25.

The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships was held at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium. Odisha also conducted the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level Competition last year in Bhubaneswar, which attracted more than 200 athletes from different parts of the globe.

The World Athletics 2028 Indoor Athletics Championships allotted to India mark the growing stature of Indian athletics.

Indian track and field has been in sharp focus since ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won back-to-back Olympic and World medals.

Steeplechase specialist Avinash Sable clinched silver in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Last week Asian Games bronze medallist Gulveer Singh became the first Indian runner to break 60 minutes for the half marathon (21km) in New York City.

"The Indian athletes have been making a good impression at the global level," the AFI president added. "We are hopeful more youngsters will earn glory at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games."