TV
A new chapter in Indian athletics begins today as the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is all set to host the Indian Open 2025, a World Athletics Bronze-Level Continental Tour event, for the first time in the country.
Notably, the one-day meet will see 160 male and female athletes from 17 countries competing in 18 track and field events, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m races, javelin throw, and other disciplines.
First-Ever Continental Tour Event in India
Reports added that this is the maiden occasion for India to stage a World Athletics Continental Tour meet, organised annually by World Athletics. Further, this event is the second tier of global track and field competition after the elite Diamond League. Established in 2020, it features four levels, including gold, silver, bronze, and challenger.
Athletes will be aiming for top performances to secure qualification marks for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Strong results here could also help them earn valuable ranking points for direct entry into the championships.
International Field, Star Indian Contingent
Participants include athletes from Australia, the UK, South Africa, and Malaysia. Among the Indian contingent are Odisha’s Shrabani Nanda, Animesh Kujur, and Lalu Prasad Bhoy. Kujur, who holds national records in both the men’s 100m and 200m sprints, will face a strong challenge from Malaysian record holder Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, according to reports from the official Olympics website.
Other top Indian athletes in action include long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who is on a three-event winning streak; men’s 800m national record holder Mohammed Afsal; women’s long jumper Shaili Singh; and 400m runner Vithya Ramraj.
In the men’s javelin throw, Asian Athletics Championships silver medallist Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh will lead the home challenge against Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, who edged Yadav to bronze in Bengaluru last month.
Annu Rani will headline the women’s javelin throw, while Abdulla Aboobacker and Jeswin Aldrin will feature in men’s triple jump and long jump, respectively.
Packed Competition Schedule
A total of 17 medal events, nine for men and eight for women, will be contested. The men’s events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 5000m, long jump, triple jump, javelin throw, and 4x400m relay, while the women’s line-up features the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, long jump, and javelin throw.
The action begins at 7:40 am with the men’s 400m heats and concludes with the men’s 4x400m relay final at 8:00 pm. The evening session will feature marquee events such as the men’s and women’s 100m and 200m finals, long jump, triple jump, and both men’s and women’s javelin throw finals.
The entire meet will be streamed live on the Athletics Federation of India’s YouTube channel, though there will be no live television broadcast in India.
It is worth mentioning that Kalinga Stadium last hosted a major international athletics event in 2017 during the Asian Athletics Championships. After a gap of several years, world-class athletics has returned to the venue, reaffirming Odisha’s growing reputation as a hub for global sporting events.
