India has taken a major strategic stride in international athletics by officially submitting its bid to host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships (AIAC) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The proposal, filed by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), marks the first time India has sought to stage the continental indoor meet a move that signals both growing technical capability and rising ambition in global sports hosting. If successful, the 2028 AIAC would not only be India’s debut in hosting a major indoor athletics championship but would also mark the first time the event comes to South Asia. It represents a cornerstone in India’s long-term sporting roadmap, which aims to progressively build hosting credibility toward the 2036 Olympic Games.
Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Indoor Athletics Centre: The Heart of the Bid
At the center of India’s proposal lies a world-class facility — the Kalinga Indoor Athletics Centre (KIAC) — located within the Kalinga Sports Complex in Bhubaneswar. Opened in 2024, the KIAC is the first and only indoor athletics venue in India to receive World Athletics Category 1 certification, the highest global standard required for hosting continental championships.
Built at a cost of ₹136 crore, the KIAC covers 25,000 square meters and stands as South Asia’s largest indoor athletics arena. It features a 200-meter six-lane track with inclined curves, a Sportflex Super X 720 K 39 surface, and complete facilities for all indoor track and field disciplines including long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and shot put.
Beyond the competition area, the complex houses warm-up tracks, athlete accommodations with 60 twin-sharing rooms, and a spectator gallery capable of seating up to 2,000 people.
This infrastructure readiness is perhaps the single most compelling feature of India’s bid. Unlike other nations that would need to construct new facilities from scratch, Bhubaneswar already has a completed, certified, and operational venue. This dramatically lowers logistical and financial risks a key consideration for the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) when selecting hosts. The Asian Indoor Athletics Championships is a biennial event that has historically rotated among nations with indoor-ready venues primarily Iran, Qatar, and Kazakhstan. The 2024 edition was held in Tehran, while Tianjin, China is confirmed as the 2026 host.
That makes the 2028 edition the next available slot in the Asian athletics calendar.
The timing of India’s bid aligns perfectly with the AAA’s event cycle and with India’s domestic athletics development timeline. By 2028, the country will have completed the national rollout of several key infrastructure projects, including indoor training centers in Delhi and Guwahati, making the Bhubaneswar event a natural culmination of these investments.
India’s 2028 bid is not an isolated move it fits within a broader national strategy to become a regular host of continental and global athletics competitions. The AFI is simultaneously pursuing bids for the 2026 Asian Relays, the 2028 World U20 Championships, and possibly the World Athletics Championships in 2029 or 2031. By securing and successfully hosting the AIAC, India would gain verifiable operational experience in staging certified indoor events, an area that requires specialized technical management distinct from outdoor competitions. The learnings from a successful 2028 execution would be crucial for larger ambitions including the 2030 Commonwealth Games (for which Ahmedabad has been recommended) and the 2036 Olympic Games bid.
Simply put, the AIAC bid is part of a larger strategic pathway a tangible demonstration that India can meet the exacting standards of modern global athletics governance.
Odisha’s Proven Model for Sports Hosting
Bhubaneswar’s selection as the proposed host city is far from coincidental. Odisha has earned a reputation as India’s most reliable state for sports infrastructure and event delivery.
The city’s credentials are well established it successfully hosted the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships in 2017, an event that brought together 560 athletes from 41 nations and drew over 80,000 spectators over four days. The execution was widely praised by the AAA and World Athletics for its professionalism and community engagement. Since then, Bhubaneswar has become a hub for international sport, hosting the Hockey World Cup, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and the World Athletics Continental Tour, among others.
What differentiates Odisha’s model is its “infrastructure-first” approach. The state has invested over ₹4,100 crore in sports development projects across its 314 blocks, emphasizing accessibility, talent development, and sustainability. The KIAC was built under this model, ensuring that the capital investment for 2028 is already absorbed, leaving only operational costs (OpEx) to be managed for the AIAC a major financial advantage.
The financial case for Bhubaneswar’s bid is robust. With the venue’s construction costs already accounted for, the operational expenditure for hosting the 2028 AIAC would mirror that of the 2017 Asian Championships, which required approximately ₹28.5 crore, fully covered by government grants and corporate sponsorship. This means the event can be organized without large-scale capital commitments, reducing the likelihood of delays or cost overruns.
Moreover, the venue’s proximity to the Biju Patnaik International Airport and the city’s hospitality infrastructure enhanced through its hosting of major global tournaments ensures smooth logistics for athletes and officials.
As of now, Bhubaneswar’s bid faces little confirmed competition. With Iran and China having hosted back-to-back editions, and few other Asian nations possessing Category 1-certified indoor facilities, the field of potential rivals remains small. The Kalinga Indoor Athletics Centre’s pre-certification is a decisive edge. For any competing bid, constructing and certifying a similar venue could take 24–30 months and cost upwards of ₹150 crore an unlikely prospect given the event’s 2028 timeline.
This makes Bhubaneswar’s proposal not just appealing but practical a ready-to-host, turnkey solution that de-risks the AAA’s decision. The formal bid was submitted by the Athletics Federation of India, with the Asian Athletics Association serving as the awarding authority. Based on typical timelines, a final decision on the 2028 host is expected by March 2026, giving the AFI ample time to reinforce its case.
The federation’s parallel push to host the 2026 Asian Relays likely in North India is also part of a layered strategy. If India executes the Relays successfully, it would strengthen its credibility directly ahead of the AAA’s 2028 decision, building momentum for Bhubaneswar’s case.
A successful bid for the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships could reshape the landscape of Indian athletics. Beyond the prestige of hosting, it will create a year-round, weather-independent training environment for elite athletes something India has long lacked. Events like the 60m sprint, indoor hurdles, and short-distance jumps require specialized facilities that athletes currently access only abroad. The KIAC now offers a certified domestic venue for such training, directly supporting medal aspirations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond.
The event would also reinforce Bhubaneswar’s reputation as the nucleus of India’s sports infrastructure revolution a model city where government backing, technical standards, and grassroots talent development intersect. India’s proposal to host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar is more than a bid it’s a strategic declaration. It encapsulates the country’s evolving sports governance philosophy: building world-class infrastructure first, then using it to attract world-class events.
With its state-of-the-art facility, proven hosting experience, and minimal capital risk, Bhubaneswar stands as one of Asia’s most credible options. If awarded, the 2028 AIAC will not only bring the continent’s best athletes to Indian soil it will mark a defining moment in India’s journey toward becoming a global sporting powerhouse.
