India Aims High: Strategic Bids for 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships

Image Source: The Tribune

India has officially announced its intention to bid for both the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships, marking a major step in the country’s push to become a global hub for athletics. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) confirmed the move, calling it a “strategic” effort to secure the hosting rights for at least one of these prestigious events.

Dual Bid Strategy

India will submit bids for both the 2029 and 2031 editions, with the goal of hosting at least one.
The World Athletics governing body will announce the hosts for both editions in September 2026.
The deadline for countries to express interest is October 1, 2025, with final bid submissions due by August 5, 2026.

Why Both Years?

Asia is already set to host the 2025 (Tokyo) and 2027 (Beijing) championships, making it less likely for India to win the 2029 bid.
By bidding for both years, India increases its chances, especially for 2031, when the event is more likely to return outside East Asia.

Building on Recent Success

The announcement follows the successful hosting of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India’s first Gold-category Continental Tour event, which showcased the country’s ability to organize world-class athletics meets.
India has also submitted an expression of interest to host the 2028 World Junior Championships.

Olympic Ambitions

The AFI’s aggressive bidding is part of a broader strategy to position India as a future host for the 2036 Olympics.
Hosting the World Athletics Championships would be a major milestone on that path.

What’s Next?

India will prepare detailed proposals and infrastructure plans in the coming months.
The global athletics community will watch closely as the bidding process unfolds.

Source: ABP Live, News18, Business Standard, PTI