New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Minister of Youth Affairs and Sport, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sport, Smt Raksha Khadse, have expressed their delight at the news that India will be hosting the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championship at Bhubneswar.

The Sports Minister expressed his delight in a social media post starting with the sentence, "The World is coming to India!"

"Delighted to learn that Bhubaneswar, Odisha, will host the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

"Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India is not only improving its medal tally on the global stage but also emerging as a premier destination for hosting major international sporting events," wrote Dr Mandaviya in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The MoS wrote in a post on X, "India is now not only a participant but is emerging as a major hub on the global sports map.

"Bhubaneswar in Odisha, being awarded the hosting rights for the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships, is a historic milestone in this direction. Under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, India has made remarkable progress in every dimension of sports—be it the performance of our athletes or hosting major international events.

"This achievement demonstrates that India is not only winning medals, but also building the capacity to shape the future of global sports," she said, reacting to the news being put out by the senior minister.

Earlier in the day, Bahadur Singh Sagoo, president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), announced that the World Athletics Council has awarded India the hosting rights for the 2028 Indoor Championships.

“India will host the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar. The global competition will be held at Kalinga’s Indoor Stadium,” the AFI president said.

India was awarded the 2028 edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Thursday during the World Athletics Council meeting in Torun, Poland, which is also hosting the 2026 edition from March 20 to 22. Additionally, Wayback India previously hosted the World Half Marathon in New Delhi in 2004.

In January, members of the World Athletics Council visited Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Indoor Stadium in Odisha and were pleased with the facilities.

--IANS

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