Copyright republicworld
The Republic of India has submitted proposals to earn the hosting rights for the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and the 2026 Asia Relays. The country has been actively pushing to bring global and continental athletic events, and its advanced push could help develop India as a major sporting city.India has already locked in the hosting rights to a significant athletic competition, with the 2030 Commonwealth Games being hosted in the country. Ahmedabad has been decided as the host city, and preparations have picked up pace to develop the region with top-tier arenas and sporting venues.The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has submitted bids to bring the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and the 2026 Asia Relays to the country.Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, has been proposed as the host city for the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. The venue for the 2026 Asia Relays is yet to be finalised by the Federation."We have submitted the bid for 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships with Bhubaneswar as the host city. There is no other venue in India which can host the event other than the indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar."For 2026 Asian Relays, we have not yet decided on the venue," a top AFI official said to PTI on condition of anonymity. Also Read: Neeraj Chopra Conferred With Honorary Rank Of Lieutenant Colonel, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi And Rajnath Singh Honour Olympic ChampionIf India succeeds in the bids for the sporting events, it would be the first time that the country would host the two continental athletic events.The indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar boasts a 100m practice track and a 200m running track. It also consists of areas specifically for shot put, long jump, pole vault and triple jump.A well-equipped gymnasium and a warm-up area for the athletes make it a state-of-the-art venue to host such athletic events.Also Read: Simran Sharma Scripts History With Golden Run In Women's 100m T12 Final At World Para Athletics Championships 2025In terms of the relay event, reports have mentioned that the AFI is considering a North Indian city to host the athletic event. But nothing has been finalised as of now.Apart from the aforementioned athletic events, India has also extended its formal interest to host the 2028 U20 Championships and the senior World Athletics Championships in either 2029 or 2031.
