India To Host Maiden World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Event In Bhubaneswar On August 22

India will host its maiden World Athletics Continental Tour silver event in Bhubaneswar on August 22 next year, an upgrade from the bronze level meet held at the same venue in 2025, the national federation announced here on Tuesday.

The elevated status would mean higher ranking points for participants which would attract athletes of stronger calibre at the meet. Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted the bronze level meet on August 10 this year.

"We conducted a bronze-level continental tour meet this year, so next year we are going up and conducting the silver level," said Athletics Federation of India's (AFI) Director of Competitions Ravinder Choudhary while unveiling the 2026 calendar.

The Continental Tour is an annual series of track and field competitions held under the aegis of World Athletics and it forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the prestigious Diamond League. It has three levels, the highest being gold, followed by silver and bronze.

The AFI also decided to change the dates of the inaugural edition of the National Indoor Athletics Championships, also to be held in Bhubaneswar from January to March. The national federation had earlier this month had announced that the meet would be held in January, but Chaudhary said on Tuesday that it would be organised on March 24 and 25.

The state-of-the-art indoor facility at Kalinga Stadium Complex in the Odisha capital will host the event.

"One more feature which we are adding to this calendar is the inaugural edition of the Indoor National Championship that we are beginning. It will be the first time in our history that we will be conducting the National Indoor Championship on March 24 and 25," Chaudhary said.

Additionally, an inaugural edition of Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault Competition will also be held in Bhubaneswar on May 2 and 3.

The comprehensive annual 2026 domestic calendar will feature as many as 40 competitions to sharpen skills of senior and junior athletes in the build-up to the 2026 Asian Games (September 19 to October 4) in Japan.

"...we are also having two more indoor competitions, including a separate indoor pole vault event. Last year, there were 32 competitions and we have increased that from 32 to 40."

Choudhary said the AFI will introduce an Indian Athletics Series from next year to encourage competitors at regional level. The 16-part series will commence from April and continue till September.

"The Indian Athletics Series will give a chance to young athletes on the fringes to compete at a higher level with minimum entry standard. It will give more competitions, more exposure, more experience to the athletes," he said.

To be eligible to participate in the National Senior Federation Championships (May 22-25 in Ranchi), the AFI has made it mandatory for athletes to compete in a minimum of two competitions.

Moreover, the athletes will have to participate in three competitions, including state meets, to be eligible to take part in the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships (July 8-12 in Bhubaneswar).

National coach P Radhakrishnan Nair said it would be mandatory for athletes to participate in some of the events to be eligible for next year's Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

"Of course, we have not yet decided which competition will be a selection meet for that... you know both Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are so close to each other. So it is not possible to conduct different trials," he reasoned.

The third major national championships in 2026 -- National Open -- has been slotted for October 8-11 in New Delhi.