NEW DELHI, May 27: The Indian cities of Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar were on Wednesday awarded hosting rights of next year’s Asian Relays and the 2028 Asian Indoor Championships respectively by the continent’s athletics governing body during its executive council meeting in Hong Kong.
The Asian Athletics Association’s (AAA) council meeting was held ahead of the Asian U20 Championships from May 28 to 31.
The two major continental competitions are being held on Indian soil for the first time. The Asian Relays will be held in May next year while the 2028 Asian Indoor Championships will be conducted in January.
“India has got the Asian Relays in 2027 to be held in Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar will host the Asian Indoor Championships in 2028. It’s a very proud moment for the country,” the World Athletics Vice-President Adille Sumariwalla, who attended the AAA council meeting in Hong Kong, told PTI.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had last year submitted the bids to host both the events.
The Asian Relays in Chandigarh will be the third edition of the event. The inaugural edition was held in Bangkok in 2024 while the second chapter will be held in Shaoxing, China from June 20–21 this year.
“The Chandigarh Administration has come forward to support the continental competition,” says the AFI president. “The Asian Relay Championships will be held at Sector 7 Sports Complex,” said AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo.
Asian Relays Championships will be held in six events — men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay, women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay, mixed 4x100m and 4x400m.
More than 200 athletes from across the Asian continent are expected to be seen in action in Chandigarh.
The state-of-the-art indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar will be the venue for the 2028 Asian Indoor Championships. The same venue will also host the 2028 World Indoor Championships from March 3 to 5. The inaugural national indoor championships was held in March at the same facility.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said his state has strengthened its position as a host for global sporting events.
“It’s another cap in Odisha’s crown in the realm of global sports,” the CM said in a statement.
India getting the hosting rights of two Asian events is in line with the country’s efforts to stage continental and global events in the coming years.
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 Championships. (PTI)
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