Bhubaneswar to host Asian Athletics Championships

The Odisha capital of Bhubaneswar will host the Asian Athletics Championships in July after Ranchi made a late pull-out of staging the continental event.

Odisha Athletics Association President Jagmohan Patnaik said the sate government has agreed to sanction the required fund to host the event and the Athletics Federation of India has cleared the venue after an inspection visit.

Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar will host the event from July 1 to 4.

“The state government has agreed to host Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar and it has agreed to sanction the required funds. So, it is now finalised that that Kalinga Stadium will host the event,” Patnaik told PTI from Odisha.

“A team of officials from the AFI including the President (Adille Sumariwalla) has made a visit and has cleared the venue,” he added.

Patnaik said that the laying of the synthetic track at the stadium will start soon.

“The laying of the synthetic track will start very soon and it will be completed on time,” he said.

The Asian Athletics Championships was to be held from June 1-4 in Ranchi but the Jharkhand capital has pulled out of hosting the event.

“The Jharkhand government has some issues on spending the required funds for the Asian Championships. They have told us this,” AFI Secretary CK Valson had said earlier.

PATNAIK SAID THAT THE LAYING OF THE SYNTHETIC TRACK AT THE STADIUM WILL START SOON