Bhubaneswar: India will host a World Athletics Continental Tour event for the first time on August 10 at Kalinga Stadium. The Continental Tour is an annual series of track and field competitions. It is the second tier of global meetings after the elite Diamond League.
So far India hosted three international athletic events. However, the Kalinga Stadium is all set to host the second international athletic meet here. In the year 2017 the Asian Athletics Championships was held here. Earlier, India also hosted the 2013 Asian Championships at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.
The Continental Tour will be a good opportunity for the Indian team to showcase its potential on home ground before the world championships scheduled to be held at Tokyo on September 13 to 21.
AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo said “a strong home team of more than 90 athletes will take part in the Continental Tour. This weekend will be a good opportunity for competitors to earn valuable global points and also to showcase their potential on home ground before the world championships scheduled to be held at Tokyo on September 13 to 21”.
According to the AFI president, more than ten Indian athletes have already made the cut for the World Athletics Championships. “We are expecting more athletes to make the cut for prestigious global competition. The deadline to achieve qualification is August 24, 2025,” adds Sagoo.
Sagoo says the response to one-day meet has been overwhelming. “Athletes from more than 15 countries will be seen in action in Bhubaneswar this weekend,” reveals Sagoo.
India’s national record holder Animesh Kujur and middle-distance runner Mohammad Afsal are among a core group of athletes who will be in action. Promising javelin thrower Sachin Yadav will look forward to breaking the 86m barrier. Yadav’s season and personal best of 85.16m was recorded on the way to silver at Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.
Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav, Commissioner and secretary sports of Government of Odisha says all the necessary arrangements for the successful conduct of the one-day global event has been done. “Odisha has good infrastructure to conduct global events,” says Jadhav. “After the successful conduct of World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze our next goal will be to host either Silver or Gold level events.”
