India has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2027 Asian Relays and the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, marking a major achievement for Indian athletics. The decision was taken during the Executive Council meeting of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) held in Hong Kong ahead of the Asian U20 Championships. Chandigarh will host the Asian Relays in 2027, while Bhubaneswar, Odisha, will host the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
Host Cities and Venues:
The city of Chandigarh has been selected to host the 2027 Asian Relays, which will be the third edition of the continental relay competition. Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar has been chosen as the venue for the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. The event is expected to be held at the Kalinga Stadium indoor athletics complex, which has emerged as a major centre for athletics infrastructure in India.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI):
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had submitted bids last year to host both championships as part of India’s broader strategy to bring more international sporting events to the country.
Founded: 1946
Headquarters: New Delhi
President: Bahadur Singh Sagoo
Bhubaneswar Emerging as a Sports Hub:
Bhubaneswar has increasingly emerged as an important sports destination in India. Earlier in 2026, the city was awarded hosting rights for the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships, making India only the fourth Asian nation to host the event. The successful conduct of events such as the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships and Hockey World Cups has strengthened Odisha’s reputation as a sports hub.
About Asian Relays:
The Asian Relays is a continental relay athletics competition organised by the Asian Athletics Association.
It includes relay events such as:
4×100 metres relay
4×400 metres relay
Mixed relay events
The competition provides qualification opportunities and ranking points for global athletics tournaments.
About Asian Indoor Athletics Championships:
The Asian Indoor Athletics Championships is a continental indoor track-and-field competition organised by the Asian Athletics Association. The 2026 edition was held in Tianjin, China, where India finished sixth overall with five medals.
Indoor athletics competitions are conducted inside specially designed indoor arenas and include events such as:
Sprint races
Hurdles
Long jump
Pole vault
Shot put
Heptathlon
World Athletics:
International governing body for athletics
Headquarters: Monaco
President: Sebastian Coe
UPSC - 2027 - Prelims cum Mains - Foundation Course / Batch Starts on 04-06-2026 
