- Odisha has been announced as the host for the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, a first for India
- The development signals India’s determination to reposition itself after the troubled 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi
- World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described the move as a strong indication of India’s forward-looking sporting vision
The eastern Indian state of Odisha has been selected to host the 2028 edition of the World Indoor Athletics Championships, marking a historic first for India in staging a major event under World Athletics.
The announcement was made on Thursday, March 19, by World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who confirmed that future editions of the championships have now been decided.
“The World Athletics Council this morning awarded the next two editions of the event, the world indoor championships, to Odisha in India in 2028 and Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2030,” Coe said ahead of the championships in Toruń, Poland.
“The future of the world indoor athletics championships is looking bright and assured.”
This milestone positions India as an emerging hub for global athletics, with Bhubaneswar, home to the Kalinga Stadium Complex, set to host the event.
The facility already includes a modern indoor arena suitable for international competitions.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad, also known as Amdavad, has been confirmed as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
The city is located in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 2030 Commonwealth Games will feature a full track and field programme and is widely seen as a stepping stone toward India’s ambition to host the Olympic Games in 2036.
The move also reflects efforts to move past the legacy of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, which were marred by construction delays, poor infrastructure, and corruption allegations.
When Ahmedabad was earlier confirmed as host, Coe noted that India was “already expressing interest in hosting major global athletics events, and the long-term aspiration to host a World Athletics Championships, and one day the Olympic Games”.
He described the developments as a “powerful sign of a nation thinking boldly about its sporting future.”