India has been awarded the hosting rights for the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2027 and the Asian Relays 2028, following a decision taken at the Asian Athletics Council meeting in Hong Kong on Wednesday, 27 May. Bhubaneswar will host the Indoor Championships, while Chandigarh will stage the Relays event.

Official Confirmation

World Athletics vice president Adille Sumariwalla confirmed the decisions on social media platform X, writing: 'Congratulations @afiindia. Chandigarh has been awarded the Asian Relays and Bhubaneswar the Asian Indoor Championships 2028. The Asian Athletics Council made these decisions in Hong Kong today. Very proud moment for India.'

Notably, the source content references the Indoor Championships year as both 2027 and 2028 in different places; Sumariwalla's post cites 2028, while the headline and earlier text cite 2027. According to reports, the World Athletics Council had separately awarded India the hosting rights for the 2028 Indoor Championships as far back as March this year, suggesting the Asian Indoor Championships and the World Athletics Indoor Championships are distinct events on a sequential calendar.

Odisha's Growing Sports Profile

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi hailed the development as a landmark for the state's sporting ambitions. 'Odisha's world-class infrastructure and exceptional capability to successfully manage large-scale international competitions have established us as a major hub in the global sports world today,' he said in an X post.

Manjhi added that hosting the Asian Indoor Championships would serve as a direct build-up to the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2028, scheduled at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. 'This glorious success in the field of sports will further strengthen our identity and self-esteem while giving a new global recognition to our young sporting talents,' he said.

Bhubaneswar's Track Record

The Kalinga Stadium is no stranger to marquee athletics events. It hosted the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships and, last year, the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level competition, which drew over 200 athletes from across the world. The back-to-back international mandates reinforce Bhubaneswar's standing as India's most consistent athletics venue.

What This Means for Indian Athletics

The twin hosting rights arrive at a pivotal moment for Indian track and field. With the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) pushing for greater international visibility, staging two continental-level events within consecutive years offers a platform to showcase domestic talent and infrastructure ahead of the global spotlight of the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships. This is the second consecutive year India has secured a major athletics hosting mandate, signalling a deliberate strategic push by both the federation and state governments.