Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to take another major step towards strengthening its position on the global athletics map as the Kalinga Stadium prepares to host the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet on August 22, 2026.
The one-day international athletics event, organised by the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and under the aegis of World Athletics, has been upgraded from the Bronze-level meet held last year.
The event will bring together 187 elite athletes from 27 countries, including 143 athletes from 12 Asian nations. As many as 88 Indian athletes will compete alongside 99 international athletes on home turf.
Sri Lanka will field the largest foreign contingent with 24 athletes, followed by South Africa with 17 and Brazil with 11 athletes.
The Silver-level meet is also being viewed as an important milestone ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships and Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, which are scheduled to be hosted at Kalinga Stadium in 2028.
The competition will feature 36 athletes ranked among the world’s top 50, adding considerable international depth to the field.
Among the biggest names expected to compete is Muzala Samukonga of Zambia, currently ranked World No. 6 and a bronze medallist in the men’s 400m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He enters the competition with a season-best timing of 44.02 seconds.
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the World No. 10 in shot put, will also be among the prominent athletes. The Commonwealth Games champion and Paris Olympics finalist is expected to provide strong competition in the field events.
The meet will feature 18 events, with nine disciplines each for men and women. The men’s events include 100m, 400m, 800m, 110m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw, while the women’s competition will feature 100m, 400m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump, javelin throw and discus throw.
Apart from prize money, athletes will also compete for valuable World Athletics ranking points, which can play an important role in qualification and positioning for major international competitions. The winners will receive $1,600, while second and third-place finishers will receive $1,200 and $900 respectively.
Speaking at a pre-event press conference in Bhubaneswar, Dr Vijay Yeddula, Director of Sports, Government of Odisha, said the upgrade from a Bronze to a Silver-level Continental Tour meet was a significant achievement for the state.
He said the event would further strengthen Odisha’s athletics ecosystem and provide young athletes an opportunity to witness world-class competition. In a move aimed at encouraging greater public participation, entry to Kalinga Stadium will be free for spectators.
Dr Adille Sumariwalla, Vice President of World Athletics and AFI spokesperson, thanked the Odisha Government for upgrading the event to Silver level. He said the presence of 36 top-50 athletes would make the competition highly competitive and provide athletes with valuable exposure ahead of their next major international assignment in Japan.
The meet is expected to provide Indian athletes, particularly emerging competitors, an opportunity to test themselves against established international performers without having to travel overseas.
With the Continental Tour Silver Meet, Odisha is further expanding its calendar of international sporting events and strengthening Kalinga Stadium’s reputation as a venue capable of hosting high-level global competitions.
