India bids for 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and 2026 Asian Relays

India has submitted bids to host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships as well as the 2026 Asian Relays in line with the countrys efforts to stage continental and global events in the coming yearsIf India succeeds in its bids for the events it would be the first time the country would be hosting the two continental competitionsThe Athletics Federation of India AFI has proposed Bhubaneswar as the host city for the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships while the venue for the 2026 Asian Relays is yet to be finalisedWe 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 a top AFI official told PTI on conditions of anonymityFor 2026 Asian Relays we have not yet decided on the venueAs of now the AFI is considering a north Indian city for the Asian Relays likely to be held in April but it is not yet final and can be changed later it is learntThe stateoftheart indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar was inaugurated in 2024 It has a 200m running track a 100m practice track designated areas for long jump triple jump pole vault and shot put warmup areas for athletes as well as a gymThe oval shaped track lies below a spectator gallery which can house 2000 people The facility also houses 60 twinsharing rooms and a dining hall for those undergoing fulltime trainingThe inaugural Asian Relays was held in May 2024 in Bangkok where India won gold in the mixed 4x400m and a silver each in mens and womens 4x400mThe Asian Indoor Athletics Championships a biennial event was first held in 2004 in Tehran Iran has hosted the event four times all in Tehran the most by any countryThe Iranian capital hosted the last edition also in 2024 with India winning three gold medals and one silver Tajinderpal Singh Toor mens shot put Jyothi Yarraji womens 60m hurdles and Harmilan Bains womens 1500m won a gold medal each while Ankita Dhyani womens 3000m got a silverThe 2026 edition of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships will be held in Tianjin in China from February 68 India has also formally expressed its interest to host the 2028 World U20 Championships as well as either of the 2029 or 2031 editions of the senior World Athletics ChampionshipsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever