In a landmark development for Indian athletics, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has confirmed that India will host its first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level meet Indian Open on August 10, 2025, at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
This announcement was made as part of the national competition calendar for 2025 and marks India’s debut on the global one-day athletics circuit under the World Athletics umbrella.
The Continental Tour sits just below the prestigious Diamond League and is split into Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels, offering ranking points that are crucial for qualification to major global championships.
Why This Meet Matters
This event is particularly crucial as it provides Indian athletes with the opportunity to earn World Athletics ranking points (Category C) ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13–21).
Competing at home gives Indian athletes a unique advantage — familiar conditions, home crowd support, and reduced travel fatigue.
Importantly, this is India’s first global-level track and field meet since the international permit meets of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
For Indian athletics, it marks a bold leap toward global relevance and a promising start to a new era.
Kalinga Stadium to Meet Global Standards
To host a Bronze-level meet, strict infrastructure and competition standards are mandatory:
- Minimum seating capacity of 3,000
- A Class 2 certified track (minimum 6 lanes)
- World Athletics-certified equipment
- Fully automatic timing with photo finish system
- Two infield clocks, two electronic display boards, and at least one video screen
- Adequate warm-up areas, and medical and physiotherapy support
- Doping control: Minimum five dope tests under WADA protocol
Events to Be Staged
A total of 19 individual events plus three relays are scheduled, featuring a healthy balance of sprints, middle-distance, jumps, and throws. Here’s the complete event list:
Men’s Events
- Track: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m
- Field: Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put, Javelin Throw
- Relay: 4x400m
Women’s Events
- Track: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m
- Field: Long Jump, Javelin Throw
- Relay: 4x400m
Mixed Event
- 4x400m Mixed Relay
This composition ensures a minimum of five events per gender, including at least one jumping and one throwing event, as required by World Athletics regulations.
Relays in Spotlight: India’s Redemption Opportunity
Perhaps the most strategically significant inclusion is the men’s, women’s, and mixed 4x400m relays. These events offer India a final lifeline to secure a top-16 world ranking and qualification for the 2025 World Championships — especially after the disappointing miss at the World Relays earlier this year.
The AFI now has a critical responsibility: field competitive line-ups and invite strong international relay teams to ensure a high-quality race that boosts world ranking calculations based on time and athlete performance.
💰 Prize Purse & Athlete Welfare
To meet Bronze-level standards, a total prize purse of USD 25,000 must be offered. All participating athletes will be housed in minimum three-star hotels, and there will be robust medical, emergency, and physiotherapy services at both the competition venue and the hotel.
This structure will not only ensure top-class athlete comfort and safety but also make the event more attractive to international competitors, thus raising the competitive standard.
A Big Leap for Indian Athletics
India has shown tremendous progress in athletics in recent years, with standout performances in global events like the World Championships, Asian Games, and the Olympics.
The Continental Tour meet now adds a world-class competitive platform at home, allowing Indian athletes to rub shoulders with global names in their own backyard.
More importantly, it signals India’s readiness to host high-profile international track and field events — a step that could eventually lead to bids for higher-tier meets like the Continental Tour Gold or even future World Championships.
India’s inclusion on the World Athletics global competition map is more than symbolic. It’s a sign of growing ambition, enhanced infrastructure, and international credibility.
The Kalinga Stadium will be the stage, but it’s the athletes — and the system supporting them — that will script the story.
As the countdown to August 10 begins, India prepares not just to host an event — but to embrace a new identity as a global athletics destination.
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