New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Bahadur Singh Sagoo, president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), announced that the World Athletics Council has awarded India the hosting rights for the 2028 Indoor Championships.

“India will host the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar. The global competition will be held at Kalinga’s Indoor Stadium,” the AFI president said.

India was awarded the 2028 edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Thursday during the World Athletics Council meeting in Torun, Poland, which is also hosting the 2026 edition from March 20 to 22. Additionally, Wayback India previously hosted the World Half Marathon in New Delhi in 2004.

In January, members of the World Athletics Council visited Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Indoor Stadium in Odisha and were pleased with the facilities.

Sagoo mentioned that Odisha is a leading destination for track and field in the country. In addition to hosting domestic events, Odisha has also been organising international competitions.

The first National Indoor Athletics Championships will take place at Kalinga’s Indoor Stadium on March 24 and 25.

The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships took place at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium. Last year, Odisha hosted the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level Competition in Bhubaneswar, drawing over 200 athletes from around the world.

The World Athletics 2028 Indoor Athletics Championships, assigned to India, highlight the increasing prominence of Indian athletics.

Indian track and field has gained significant attention following Neeraj Chopra, the top javelin thrower, winning consecutive Olympic and World medals. Avinash Sable, a steeplechase expert, won silver in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Last week, Gulveer Singh, an Asian Games bronze medallist, became the first Indian runner to complete a half-marathon (21 km) in under 60 minutes 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.”

–IANS

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