Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 29: Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium is all set to host the seven nation BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Championships, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced on Wednesday. The dates and competition, however, are yet to be finalised.
Reports from official sources suggest that the participating nations will include India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The event will give emerging Indian athletes an opportunity to compete internationally.
The AFI will select India’s squad based on performances at two national competitions: the sixth Indian U23 Athletics Championships and the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships.
The U23 championships were held at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur from October 16 to 18. Meanwhile, the national junior meet concluded on Tuesday.
Thailand’s participation is expected to strengthen the field, with the country known for producing competitive Asian sprinters.
Kalinga Stadium has increasingly become a venue for major athletics events. After a new track was laid, it hosted India’s first Bronze-level Continental Tour Meet last year. This was then followed by a Silver-level competition this year.
Notably, the BIMSTEC U23 Championships will add another international event to Bhubaneswar’s athletics calendar.
