India to host maiden World Athletics Continental Tour event on August 10 next year

New Delhi: 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 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.

"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.

"We are trying for a big global javelin event and hoping to get it," he added.

Riding on Olympic gold and silver medallist Neeraj Chopra's success, India is emerging as a global javelin powerhouse in the world. Currently, the country has more than half a dozen javelin throwers who can throw more than 80m.

A World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level Meet can only be held in a facility which has a minimum sitting capacity of 3000 with a minimum class 2 certified track with six lanes. The equipment to be used will have to be World Athletics-certified.

There will have to be fully automatic timing obtained from a Photo Finish System, two clocks, two electronic infield boards and minimum one video screen. The warm up area will have to be adequate for all disciplines.

The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is one of the best facilities in the country and it has hosted several national championships and the Asian Championships in 2017 during which it had earned praise from the current World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

To host a Continental Bronze Level Meet, the organisers shall provide adequate medical and emergency services on site, including ambulance service, and minor stitching; physiotherapy facilities at the stadium and at the Athletes' hotel.

A minimum of five dope tests must be conducted at the event and samples shall be collected in strict accordance with World Athletics Anti-Doping Regulations using qualified doping control personnel. Samples shall be shipped to and analysed by a WADA-accredited laboratory.

The organisers must stage a minimum of 12 events, with minimum five per gender including at least one jumping and one throwing event. They shall make every effort to stage the main programme within two and a half consecutive hours.

The participating athletes will have to be kept at a minimum three-star hotel and a total prize money purse of USD 25,000 must be offered for the meeting.

Regarding the 2025 calendar, the season will start with the National Cross Country championships on January 12.

The national race walking competition will be organised on April 19 in Chandigarh. The Senior National Federation Cup is scheduled for April 21-24 in Panchkula, Haryana, and will act as a qualification event for the Asian Athletic Championships to be held from May 27 to May 31 in Korea.

The National Inter-State Senior Championships will be held from August 20 to 24 in Chennai, while the National Open Championships will be organised either in Pune or Bengaluru from September 27 to 30.

The AFI president said elite Indian race walkers will not compete in the Asian Race Walking competition in Nomi, Japan in March as the main focus will be the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

"The core group of Indian race walkers clocked a good time in March but aren't able to repeat the performance later in the season," Sumariwalla explained.

"Since the main focus in 2025 is the global competition in September, we have decided not to send the elite team to Japan in March."

The national team will also compete in international events to prepare for the World Athletics World Championships from September 13-21, the AFI president said.

"The AFI has also introduced regional competition from next year to give more exposure to athletes on the fringes. The regional competitions will commence from April."

The AFI's flagship event — National Inter-District Athletics Meet (NIDJAM) — will take place in February.