Asian Relay Championships 2027: India to Host in Chandigarh, Asian Indoors 2028 in Bhubaneswar

India will host the Asian Relay Championships 2027 in Chandigarh, the first time the event comes to India. The Asian Athletics Association also gave India the Asian Indoor Championships 2028 in Bhubaneswar. Both decisions were made at its executive council meeting in Hong Kong on 27 May 2026.

Together with the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which Bhubaneswar will also stage, India now has three international championships in under two years. This guide covers what we know about each event, India’s relay record at past editions and why home relays matter for Indian sprinters.

Asian Relay Championships 2027 in Chandigarh

Chandigarh will stage the third edition of the Asian Relays at the Sector 7 Sports Complex. AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo has said the championships will take place in May 2027. Moreover, World Athletics vice-president Adille Sumariwalla, who attended the meeting in Hong Kong, called it “a very proud moment for the country”.

India at past Asian Relay Championships

The Asian Relays are a young event. However, India has won medals at both editions so far.

2024, Bangkok: one gold and two silvers

The first edition took place in Bangkok on 20 and 21 May 2024, with 16 Asian countries taking part. India won the mixed 4x400m in a then national record of 3:14.1, and both the men’s and women’s 4x400m teams took silver.

2026, China: gold in the women’s 4x100m

The second edition was held in Shaoxing, China, in June 2026. This time, India’s women won the 4x100m in a season’s best of 43.85. In addition, the mixed 4x400m team took silver, and the mixed 4x100m team won bronze in 41.47, close to the national record of 41.35 set at the World Relays.

Why the Asian Relay Championships 2027 matter for India

Relays have become one of India’s strengths. For example, the mixed 4x100m team lowered the national record to 41.35 at the World Relays and then ran 41.06 at the Asian Games, where it won bronze. Meanwhile, sprinters such as Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur have given India its fastest 100m times ever.

However, the men’s 4x100m has struggled, as we explained in our report on the men’s relay crisis. A home championship gives Indian squads a top-level race without long travel. In addition, it falls a few months before the World Championships in Beijing in September 2027, so it is ideal timing to sharpen baton work. For how teams qualify, see our guide to World Championships 2027 qualification.

Asian Indoor Championships 2028 in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar will host the Asian Indoor Championships in early 2028, in the indoor facility of the Kalinga Stadium complex. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi welcomed the decision. Notably, it will be the first time India hosts the event.

The venue already has a record-breaking history. At the National Indoor Championships there in March 2026, Gurindervir Singh ran 6.60 to set the 60m national record. In addition, Baranica Elangovan cleared 4.22m for a women’s pole vault record, and Kuldeep Kumar set a men’s pole vault record of 5.41m.

World Athletics Indoor Championships 2028 also in Bhubaneswar

Earlier, on 19 March 2026, the World Athletics Council meeting in Toruń, Poland, awarded the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships to Bhubaneswar. The championships will be held at the Kalinga Indoor Stadium in March 2028. As a result, Bhubaneswar will host the Asian and the world indoor championships in the same season.

India’s athletics hosting calendar

These events are part of a wider push to bring major athletics to India. The table lists the confirmed events and India’s stated ambitions.