Kalinga Stadium Ready to Host World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet on August 22

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is poised for another significant moment on the international athletics calendar as the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet gets underway at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on August 22.

The one-day championship, upgraded from the Bronze level following last year’s successful edition, is being jointly organised by the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics.

The event is expected to further strengthen Odisha’s position as a major destination for international sporting events and provide Indian athletes with an opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading performers on home soil.

The meet will bring together 187 elite athletes from 27 countries, including 143 competitors from 12 Asian nations. The field comprises 88 Indian and 99 international athletes.

Sri Lanka will field the largest foreign contingent with 24 athletes, followed by South Africa with 17 and Brazil with 11.

The competition will feature 18 events, equally divided between men and women. The men’s events include the 100m, 400m, 800m, 110m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw.

The women’s programme will feature the 100m, 400m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump, javelin throw and discus throw.

Besides prize money of $1,600 for gold, $1,200 for silver and $900 for bronze, athletes will also compete for valuable World Athletics ranking points.

Several athletes from Odisha will compete at the meet, including Animesh Kujur in the 100m, Swadhin Kumar Majhi in high jump, Kishore Jena in javelin throw, Bapi Hansda in the 400m, Srabani Nanda in the 100m and Pragyan Prasanti Sahoo in the 100m.

Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the elevation of the event to Silver status reflected the growing stature of athletics in Odisha.

He said the meet would provide athletes from Odisha and across India with greater opportunities to compete at the international level and earn valuable rankings under World Athletics rules.

A welcome banquet for participating athletes has also been arranged by the Governor, while Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to attend the competition on August 22.

The Silver Meet is also being viewed as an important preparatory event ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships and Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, which Odisha is scheduled to host at Kalinga Stadium in 2028.

AFI Chairman Dr Lalit Kumar Bhanot said the event would provide Indian athletes with enhanced competitive opportunities, including two finals. He also highlighted Kalinga Stadium’s indoor track and said the required 50 per cent foreign participation criterion had been met.

The field includes athletes ranked among the world’s top performers, further raising the competitive level of the meet.

Indian long jumper M. Sreeshankar, ranked 15th in the world, described Kalinga Stadium as one of his favourite venues, recalling the personal best performances he has achieved there. He termed the competition an important stop ahead of major international assignments.

Fellow Indian long jumper Ancy Sojan Edappilly, ranked 41st globally, said the meet would serve as an important competitive milestone ahead of the Asian Games.

Brazilian 100m hurdler Vitoria Alves, ranked 22nd in the world, praised the track conditions, saying they would provide ideal preparation for upcoming competitions.

Nigerian shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, ranked ninth in the world, also appreciated the training facilities at Kalinga Stadium during his first visit to India and expressed confidence about putting up a strong performance.

With athletes from across the world converging in Bhubaneswar, the Silver Meet is expected to further reinforce Odisha’s growing reputation as a hub for international athletics and high-performance sport.

Sports Director Dr Yeddula Vijay, AFI Treasurer B. Stanley Jones and AFI Executive Secretary G. Srinibas Pattnaik were also present at the press conference.