New Delhi: Two years from now, Bhubaneswar will script history as it becomes the first Indian city to host a global track and field championships.
The Odisha capital has been chosen as the host city of the 2028 World Indoor Championships, after India won the bid to stage the prestigious meet at the World Athletics council meeting in Poland’s Torun, which is organising the 2026 edition.
The Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium, the venue for the 2028 World Indoor Athletics championship, came in for huge praise from Adille Sumariwalla, a former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president and currently one of the vice-presidents of World Athletics.
After AFI was awarded hosting rights of the 2028 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, an elated Sumariwalla said India has one of the best indoor athletics facilities in south Asia.
Lauding the Odisha government for investing heavily in sports infrastructure, Sumariwalla said the state and the federation are working to bring marquee events to India and showcase the country’s rapid development in sporting facilities.
“We have some of the best infrastructure. We have good hotels, airport connectivity and one of the finest indoor stadiums in South Asia. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, we are trying to make India a sporting superpower. That is why we are bidding for these events,” Sumariwalla said.
‘Proud moment’, says CM Majhi
The 2028 World Indoor Championships will see India host a global track and field championships for the first time, from 3-5 March 2028.
The Odisha capital had organised the Asian Athletics Championships in 2017, and also a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meet in August 2025. But Bhubaneswar this time will have the honour of staging the World Indoor Athletics for the first time in the country.
“This is a proud moment not only for Odisha but for the entire nation of India. We extend our sincere gratitude to World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of India for placing trust in Odisha to host one of the most prestigious championships in global athletics,” said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi
“Over the past decade, Odisha has made sport a central pillar of its development vision. Through sustained investment in world-class sporting infrastructure, athlete development programmes, and high-performance ecosystems, our state has emerged as a leading destination for international sporting events. Hosting the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2028 will further strengthen our commitment to building a vibrant sporting culture while inspiring the next generation of athletes across India.”
Kalinga stadium only of its kind in India
Kalinga Stadium is the only sporting complex in India with an indoor stadium, practice arena, main stadium and sports science centre within its premises.
The new facility is set to stage the inaugural National Indoor Athletics championships on March 24 and 25, which will serve as a test event for the organisers ahead of the 2028 World meet.
The championships will serve as a major boost as fans will be able to see top global performers compete in India.
One of the possible headline grabbers could be pole vault world record-holder Armand Duplantis.
“Mondo Duplantis being here would be great. He is one of the legends of global sport,” Sumariwalla said.
The Swedish star has rewritten the world record 15 times since 2020, marking a remarkable period of prolonged dominance.
