Odisha to Host 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships

The eastern Indian state of Odisha will host the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, as announced by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on Thursday. This event will take place in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, which is home to the Kalinga Stadium complex.

This marks the first occasion that India, a populous nation, will host a major world athletics event. Additionally, Astana, Kazakhstan, has been confirmed to host the 2030 World Indoor Championships.

Coe expressed optimism about the future of world indoor athletics and highlighted India's long-term aspirations to host significant global athletic events, including the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat has also been confirmed to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will feature a full track and field program.

This development follows India's experience with the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, which faced criticism over infrastructure issues.