World Athletics Delegation Tours Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar as India Eyes Indoor Athletics Championship 2028

A key delegation from World Athletics, alongside officials from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), inspected the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

The visit underscores India's ambitious push to host the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2028, with tours highlighting the state-of-the-art Indoor Athletics Centre and broader facilities at the Kalinga Stadium Complex.

The day culminated in a high-profile meeting chaired by Odisha's Hon'ble Minister for Sports & Youth Services, Shri Suryabanshi Suraj. Joining him were Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services (DSYS), Sachin R. Jadhav; Vice President of World Athletics, Adille J. Sumariwalla; Competition & Events Director, World Athletics, Marton Gyulai;

Head of Bidding, World Athletics, Mark Hurst; Chairman of AFI's Technical Committee, Ravinder Chaudhary; and AFI Bidding Expert, Vijay Kumar Verma.

"Odisha has the necessary and available facilities to host all levels of sporting events. We are backed and encouraged by strong fan support. After successfully conducting the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze last year, we will be hosting the silver meet this year. I hope we can collaborate with World Athletics and AFI and add this prestigious milestone to our sporting journey," expressed Sports Minister.

Adille J. Sumariwalla emphasized national alignment: "In line with the PM's vision, India is bidding for the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2028. The infrastructure, hospitality and sporting culture in Bhubaneswar are at par with the global standards. For us it will be the ideal venue to host the World Indoor Championships," said Dr. Sumariwalla.

Odisha's Sports Secretary reinforced the state's credentials: "Odisha is one of the leading hubs of sports in the country. It has extensive experience hosting sports events. Today, some of India's finest sprinters are from Odisha. We are committed towards advancing Athletics and investing in block level stadium across 314 blocks. We are confident to host events on an even larger scale. We hope to collaborate with World Athletics and AFI to make this global event a historic success," shared Sports Secretary.

This inspection signals Odisha's growing stature in international athletics, building on recent successes like last year's Continental Tour Bronze and the upcoming Silver edition.