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India Wins Bid to Host 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar

India has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, with Bhubaneswar as the host city. The decision was approved by the World Athletics Council in Torun, Poland, following a successful site inspection of the Kalinga Stadium Complex. This will be the first time India hosts this prestigious biennial global athletics event. It places India as only the fourth Asian nation, after Japan, Qatar, and China, to stage the championships.

Key Points: India to Host 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships

  • Historic first for India
  • Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium venue
  • Approved by World Athletics Council
  • Fourth Asian host nation
  • Part of growing athletics ambitions
2 min read

India set to host World Indoor Athletics Championships 2028 in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar will host the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, marking a major milestone for Indian athletics and global sports.

"India will become only the fourth Asian nation to host the event, after Japan, Qatar and China."

New Delhi, March 19

India has been awarded the hosting rights for the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2028, with Bhubaneswar set to welcome athletes from across the globe. The decision was approved by the World Athletics Council during its meeting in Torun, Poland, on Thursday.

According to Olympics.com, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had submitted the country's bid earlier this year, aiming to bring the prestigious biennial track and field competition to India for the first time.

A two-member team from World Athletics had visited the indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium Complex in Bhubaneswar in January, giving the final clearance for India to host the 22nd edition of the Championships.

Organised by World Athletics, the World Indoor Athletics Championships first took place in Paris, France, in 1985.

India will become only the fourth Asian nation to host the event, after Japan, Qatar and China.

The Championships are a premier global indoor athletics competition, drawing elite athletes from around the world. While India has yet to win a medal at the event, hosting the tournament marks a significant milestone for the country's athletics ambitions.

Meanwhile, the 2026 World Indoor Athletics Championships are scheduled to begin in Torun, Poland, on Friday, though no Indian athletes will be participating.

Historically, the United States has been the most successful nation at the meet, claiming 270 medals, including 113 golds, since its inception.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Great to see India stepping up on the global sporting stage. The infrastructure in Odisha has been impressive lately. Hope the preparations are smooth and the event is a success.
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Priya S
A proud moment for Indian athletics! But the article also mentions we have zero medals so far. AFI needs to use these 4 years to identify and groom talent specifically for indoor events. Just hosting is not enough; we need to compete and win.
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Rohit P
Bhubaneswar? Interesting choice. The Kalinga Stadium is good, but I hope they improve transport and hotel facilities. The last thing we want is international athletes complaining about logistics. Fingers crossed for perfect execution!
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Vikram M
Becoming the 4th Asian nation to host this is a big deal. Japan, Qatar, China... and now India. Shows our growing soft power. Hope this boosts domestic interest in track and field beyond just cricket.
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Michael C
As a track fan, this is exciting. The World Indoors have produced some incredible moments. Hopefully, the home crowd support can help an Indian athlete finally get on the podium. The journey starts now with proper planning.

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