India will host its maiden World Athletics Continental Tour event -- a bronze level global meet -- in Bhubaneswar on August 10 next year, the national federation said on Sunday.The announcement was made by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) while releasing the competition calendar for 2025."The Continental Tour will be a good opportunity for the Indian team to showcase their potential on home ground before the World Championships in September," AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said.The meet will be a chance for Indian athletes to earn world ranking points (category C) in home conditions for the 2025 World Championships to be held in Tokyo from September 13-21.The bronze level Tour meet is below the gold and silver levels. This will be the first global athletics meet to be hosted by India after the international permit meets, held in the country in the late 1980s and early 1990s.India has also hosted World Half Marathon Championships in 2004 in New Delhi."This will be the first time and most prestigious global athletics event after the permit meets in the 80s and 90s and the World Half Marathon in 2004. This is a big achievement and will help athletics grow in the country," an AFI official told PTI.He said that India is also likely to host a "big" global level javelin meet next year.
