The Indian Open athletics calendar enters a landmark moment this weekend as the bustling city of Patna gets ready to host its first-ever senior national-level meet.
The seventh leg of the Indian Open Athletics Series 2025, organised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in collaboration with the Bihar Athletics Association and the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA), will bring more than 400 athletes to the Patliputra Sports Complex on July 19 for a day packed with high-intensity competition.
This meet represents more than just another stop on the calendar it is a historic debut for Bihar as host and a step toward decentralising elite-level competitions, offering a stage to emerging athletes from across the country, including the host state.
A Packed Day: 24 Finals, Over 400 Athletes, and Local Representation
The event schedule spans morning and evening sessions, covering 24 finals across track and field disciplines. Action begins at 6:00 AM with the men’s 10,000m final and wraps up around 8:00 PM with the women’s 5000m final. Between these bookends, athletes will contest a range of sprints, middle- and long-distance races, throws, and jumps.
Key events include:
•Sprints: 100m, 200m, and 400m (with heats and multiple race groupings)
•Middle & long distance: 800m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m
•Field events: Shot put, javelin, discus, long jump, triple jump
•Heats: Particularly in 100m and 200m, which promise head-to-head battles featuring India’s top sprinters
Among the 400+ athletes, an encouraging sign for regional development is the participation of 23 Bihar-based athletes, competing in marquee events like long jump, discus, shot put, and the highly competitive 100m and 200m sprints. Their inclusion underlines the AFI’s commitment to nurturing local talent alongside India’s established names.
Star Athletes and Events to Watch
The lineup includes national and international names whose presence is expected to elevate the competition:
•Kishore Jena: Paris 2024 Olympian, competing in the men’s javelin final at 6:00 PM (Event #12)
•Purnima Hembram: Asian Games bronze medallist, set for the women’s long jump
•Amiya Kumar Mallick: Former national record holder in 100m sprints, competing in Race H
•Ankita Dhyani, Dev Meena, Animesh Kujur: Top national names in sprints and pole vault
•Sachin Yadav, Karan Pahal, and others bringing strength across multiple disciplines
These athletes will be joined by a wider mix of emerging and experienced competitors, making the Patna meet a balanced blend of established and rising stars.
Morning session highlights:
•6:00 AM: Men’s 10,000m final
•7:30 AM: Women’s 1500m
•8:00–9:10 AM: Men’s 200m (7 separate races)
•8:55 AM: Women’s 200m
Evening session highlights:
•4:30–5:52 PM: Women’s and men’s 100m (11 races in total)
•6:00 PM: Men’s javelin featuring Kishore Jena
•7:40 PM: Men’s 5000m final
•8:00 PM: Women’s 5000m final
This tight schedule is expected to create a festival-like atmosphere at the stadium, with multiple finals and heats unfolding almost back-to-back.
Patliputra Sports Complex: Bihar’s New Athletics Hub
Located in Kankarbagh, the Patliputra Sports Complex is hosting a senior-level national meet for the first time. The venue boasts:
•A 400m synthetic track
•Indoor training halls
•A gymnasium
•Swimming pool
•Athlete accommodation facilities
Officials have indicated plans to upgrade the complex to Olympic standards, aiming to position Patna as a recurring destination on India’s athletics map.
Oversight for the meet will be provided by key figures from the AFI, including Liaquat Ali, M.E. Shamsi, and Sanjay Kumar Sinha (Bihar Athletics Secretary), whose coordinated efforts have brought this historic meet to life.
A Strategic Addition to India’s Expanding Athletics Circuit
The Patna leg of the Indian Open Athletics Meet is part of a broader AFI strategy in 2025, which has already seen competitions in cities like Sangrur, Ranchi, Pune, and Bengaluru. The intent is twofold:
•Decentralise elite competition: Ensure athletes from all regions gain exposure without having to travel exclusively to traditional hubs like Delhi or Bengaluru.
•Build competitive readiness: Frequent, standardised meets help athletes maintain peak performance levels and benchmark themselves against national rivals.
Performances at these meets feed into qualification and ranking for major international events, including:
•The Asian Games
•World Championships
•Commonwealth Games
Beyond medals, these events are designed to foster depth, consistency, and resilience in India’s athletic talent pool.
Why This Meet Matters
While the presence of national champions and Olympians will capture headlines, the deeper story lies in what this meet represents:
Opportunity for emerging athletes: Especially those from Bihar and surrounding regions, to compete against top national competitors on home soil.
Visibility for the sport: Hosting a meet in Patna is likely to inspire a new generation of athletes in the state, where national-level competitions have historically been rare.
Pathway to international representation: Strong performances here could directly influence selections and rankings for future continental and global championships.
The AFI’s vision for 2025 and beyond hinges on inclusivity, regional empowerment, and creating a year-round competitive calendar—principles reflected in this event.
A Landmark Day for Bihar and Indian Athletics
When the first athletes step onto the track at 6:00 AM on July 19, it will mark more than the start of another meet. It is a moment of firsts:
•The first senior national-level athletics meet in Bihar.
•The first time Patna’s Patliputra Sports Complex hosts over 400 elite athletes in a single day of finals.
•A first step in transforming Bihar into a fixture on the Indian athletics map.
For spectators, athletes, and organisers alike, this meet promises fast times, fierce contests, and a powerful statement: national athletics is growing, and every corner of the country has a role to play.
As the floodlights come on for the final events on Saturday evening, the hope is clear: Bihar’s debut will not just be remembered for records or medals, but as the day a new chapter in Indian athletics truly began.
