Bhubaneswar will make history on Sunday when it hosts the first-ever World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour meet in India — the Indian Open 2025 — at the iconic Kalinga Stadium. The event will see top domestic track and field athletes compete against international stars from 16 countries.
A Milestone for Indian Athletics
The World Athletics Continental Tour, launched in 2020, is the second tier of global athletics competition after the Diamond League, with four categories — gold, silver, bronze, and challenger. Hosting a Bronze Level meet on home soil offers Indian athletes a rare opportunity to earn crucial ranking points and push for qualification to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month.
While Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and steeplechase star Avinash Sable will miss the event, over 90 Indian athletes will be in action across 17 medal events.
Star Power on the Track and Field
The sprint events will feature national record holder Animesh Kujur, India’s fastest man over 100m and 200m, who will be challenged by Malaysian sprint ace Muhammad Azeem Fahmi. Long jump star Murali Sreeshankar, riding a three-event winning streak since returning from injury, will aim to continue his fine form.
In the middle distances, Mohammed Afsal, the 800m national record holder, will join Shaili Singh (women’s long jump) and Vithya Ramraj (women’s 400m) as headline acts.
Javelin Throw Without Neeraj, but Big Battles Ahead
With Chopra absent, the men’s javelin spotlight shifts to Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh, who will face tough competition from Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage — the man who edged Yadav for bronze at last month’s NC Classic in Bengaluru. In women’s javelin, Annu Rani will carry the home hopes.
Triple jump specialist Abdulla Aboobacker and long jumper Jeswin Aldrin round out the big Indian names ready to make an impact.
The action kicks off Sunday morning, with fans eager to witness world-class athletics unfold in Odisha’s capital.
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