In a landmark moment for Indian sports, the World Athletics Council has officially awarded the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships to Odisha.
The events will be staged at the state-of-the-art Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium in Bhubaneswar, marking the first time India will host this prestigious global indoor track-and-field spectacle.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe made the announcement, confirming: “The World Athletics Council this morning awarded the next two editions of the World Indoor Championships to Odisha, India in 2028 and Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2030.”
The Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, celebrated the news with an official post: “Odisha on the World Stage! Proud Host of the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2028. 🏃♂️ India welcomes the world after 22 years. The future of sport lives here.”
The announcement comes after a robust bid by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and detailed inspections of the Kalinga Stadium facilities by World Athletics delegations in January and February 2026. The venue — South Asia’s largest dedicated indoor athletics centre — boasts a World Athletics-certified 200-metre synthetic track, dedicated zones for jumps and throws, and seating for around 2,000 spectators.
This will be India’s first hosting of the senior World Indoor Championships, arriving more than two decades after the country last staged a major World Athletics event — the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships. Odisha has steadily built its credentials as a sporting powerhouse, having successfully hosted events such as the Asian Athletics Championships and multiple Continental Tour meets.
As a warm-up, the Kalinga Stadium will host India’s inaugural National Indoor Athletics Championships on March 24-25, 2026. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi hailed the achievement, stating the state has “arrived on the global stage” and thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and support.
The 2028 championships are expected to draw elite athletes from more than 200 nations for intense competition in sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and combined events. Organisers anticipate a massive boost to Indian athletics, providing home-soil exposure for rising stars, inspiring young talent nationwide, and delivering significant economic and tourism benefits to the region.
With its #OdishaForSports initiative, the state continues to invest in world-class infrastructure that allows year-round training and competition regardless of weather. The event cements India’s rising stature on the global sports map and sets the stage for unforgettable athletic moments in 2028.
The countdown has begun — Bhubaneswar is ready to welcome the world.
