THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 17, 2026
The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is set to become the
centre of the athletics world on August 22, as Odisha prepares to host its
first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour Silver-level meet, bringing
together a formidable field of 187 athletes from 27 countries, including 36
competitors ranked among the world’s top 50. With Olympic glory, global
rankings and a new generation of Indian athletes converging on the same track,
the one-day spectacle promises to be a high-voltage showcase of world-class
athletics — and a significant step in Odisha’s growing ambition to emerge as a
global sporting destination.
Organised by the Sports and Youth Services Department of the
Odisha Government, in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI)
and under the aegis of World Athletics, the prestigious meet marks a
significant elevation from the successful Bronze-level edition held last year.
The event is also being positioned as a crucial precursor to the World
Athletics Indoor Championships and Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, which
Kalinga Stadium is scheduled to host in 2028.
The competition will feature 143 athletes from 12 Asian
countries, besides 88 Indian competitors who will get the opportunity to
measure themselves against 99 international athletes on home soil. Sri Lanka
will field the largest overseas contingent with 24 athletes, followed by South
Africa with 17 and Brazil with 11.
The star attraction will be Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga, the
World No. 6 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games men’s 400m bronze medallist. The
22-year-old enters the competition with an impressive season-best of 44.02
seconds and will be among the biggest names on the Kalinga track.
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, ranked World No. 10 in the
shot put, will add further glamour to the field. The Commonwealth Games
champion and Paris Olympics finalist is expected to provide a stern test for
the best in the field as the meet brings together athletes competing not only
for prize money but also valuable World Athletics ranking points.
The single-day programme will feature 18 events, with eight
disciplines each in the men’s and women’s sections and a further pair of events
completing the schedule. The men’s competition will comprise the 100m, 400m,
800m, 110m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw, while the
women’s events will include the 100m, 400m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, high jump,
long jump, javelin throw and discus throw.
The stakes will be high, with the winner in each event set to
receive $1,600, while the second and third-place finishers will earn $1,200 and
$900 respectively. More importantly, athletes will be chasing ranking points
that could have a bearing on their international standing.
Addressing a pre-event press conference here on Monday, Dr.
Vijay Yeddula, Director of Sports, Government of Odisha, described the
elevation of the meet as a landmark moment for the State.
“Stepping up to a
Silver-level Continental Tour event is a monumental milestone for the state,
cementing Odisha as the premier state for the athletics ecosystem in India,”
Dr. Yeddula said.
In a move aimed at taking the sport closer to the people and
inspiring the next generation, spectators will be allowed free entry to Kalinga
Stadium. The initiative is expected to give children and families an
opportunity to experience elite international athletics from close quarters.
Dr. Adille Sumariwalla, Vice President of World Athletics and
AFI Spokesperson, expressed gratitude to the Odisha Government for upgrading
the meet from Bronze to Silver level and underlined the quality of the field
assembled for the occasion.
He said having 36 athletes ranked among the world’s top 50
would make the competition “extraordinarily fierce” and described the meet as
an outstanding warm-up opportunity for athletes before they travel to Japan for
their next major international assignment.
The event is being seen as another important marker in Odisha’s steadily expanding athletics and sports infrastructure ecosystem. With the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships and Asian Indoor Athletics Championships already on the horizon, the Silver-level meet offers Kalinga Stadium another opportunity to demonstrate its ability to host competitions of international significance.
Ashok Kumar Panda, Special Secretary, DSYS, and BE Stanley, Treasurer, AFI, were also present at the press conference.
