India is ready to organize its first ever Athletics Continental Tour on Sunday 10th August. The event takes place in the curious city of Bhubaneshwar, which quietly but consistently set building blocks for Indian global sports ambitions.
The continental tour, which is just one place under the prestigious Diamond League event, will be the first Indian invasions to the year -round plan of the competition. Although it is an “bronze level”, the lowest of the three levels of the continental tour, its importance goes far behind this brand.
For a country that openly declared its desire to organize Olympic Games 2036“This is one of the first real tests, not only infrastructure, but also intent, organization and credibility.
Over the last year, both PM Narendra Modi and Interior Minister AMIT Shah said aloud: India wants to host the Olympics in 2036.
Ahmedabad has already been built as a central place, with other cities like Bhopal (rowing), Goa (football and sailing) expects satellite roles to play.
Although it is an early outlines of an ambitious dream, it is on the eastern edge of the country – in Odisha – where some foundations are already laid. Bhubaneshwar not only appeared as a center for hockey, but now enters the sports reflector.
Why bhunshwer?
A continental tour, for uninitiated, is a number of global meetings under the world athletic umbrella – One step below Diamond League. Almost 160 athletes from 17 countries will compete in BhubaneShwar. This is not a huge event according to international standards, but it is at a high level to turn the heads.
And that’s meaningful.
Adille SumariRiiwall, former AFI chief and currently one of the World Athletics World, said India in an exclusive interaction that the event was not easy – had to be obtained.
“We wanted to organize an event at the level of silver or gold, but they gave us bronze because it was our first time. We had to stand up for it. We showed them the medals we won all over the world. We did our case.”
SumariRiwalla has interrupted what is needed to bring such an event to India.
“You have to build this event. Do a reason why they should give you it. Then assess whether you have the ability or not. If not, it will not risk it because the performance of the event affects the future selection. If it is not operated correctly, the whole process is questioned.” Aville SumariRiwalla (left) said the chances of hosting a continental tour must be obtained (Image Credit: Kingshuk Kusari)
Before the green light was given, the World Athletics checked everything – the stadium infrastructure, logistics, transport connections, air connectivity, you name it. SumariRiwalla says it is basically like performing mini Asian championships. “The standards of the equipment are the same. The competition format is an international level. We have taken care of all this.”
How were world athletic officials convinced?
The seed for this was planted in 2017, when Bhubaneshwar hosted Asian athletic championship. At that time, India really began to change the mind in the world athletic community.
“There was the President of the World Athletics, the CEO was here, the director of the communication, the director of international affairs – they all saw the quality of the event. It left the impression,” Sumariwalla said. BHBUBANESHWAR will enter the sports reflector by hosting the Continental (Image Credit: Kingshuk Kusari)
At that time, the narrative moved. At that time, India went out of a country with potential to a country with abilities.
India Olympic dreams
Hosting this bronze meeting is only the first step. Afi and Odisha are already thinking ahead. The successful event is expected to lead to the next meeting at the level of silver or gold – perhaps even the Diamond League in the next few years.
“We are 100 percent of the World Athletics Championship 2029 and 2031.
If these offers go through, they put India on the realistic timeline towards the eventual offer at the Olympics. For decades, the idea of hosting the Olympic Games has felt like a distant imagination – something that happened in cities like London, Beijing or Los Angeles. But with every international event, she tear down smoothly, every medal won on the world scene, and every small city that enters the global sports reflector, India turns away in this narrative.
Bhubaneshwar not only organizes bronze meetings. This is the belief that there can be a global sport that India can supply, especially in the largest phase.
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Published on:
August 10, 2025
