Mondo Duplantis in India? Bhubaneswar all set to host World Indoor Athletics Championships 2028
This could be a rare opportunity for Indian athletics fans to see world record holder Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis in action on home soil, as Bhubaneswar is set to host the World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2028.
India will host the prestigious indoor event for the first time after World Athletics awarded the hosting rights to the country at its council meeting in Torun, Poland on Thursday. The decision was taken a day before the start of the 2026 World Indoor Championships in the Polish city.
“India has been awarded the World Indoor Athletics Championships for the year 2028,” confirmed World Athletics Vice President Adil Sumariwalla.
Held every two years, the event features some of the biggest names in global athletics, including pole vault superstar Duplantis, who has dominated the discipline in recent years. His presence in Bhubaneswar in 2028 will give Indian fans a chance to see one of the modern greats of the game up close.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had earlier announced its bid for the 2028 edition, with the World Athletics delegation visiting the indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex in January.
AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo said this development reflects the growing stature of Indian athletics on the global stage.
He said, “India being awarded the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships is a symbol of the growing stature of Indian athletics. Following Neeraj Chopra’s success at the Olympics and World Championships, track and field has received special attention in the country.”
Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium complex, which houses a state-of-the-art indoor facility, has emerged as a major venue in India’s bid to host major international events.
India has also submitted bids for several global competitions, including the 2028 World U20 Championships and the 2031 World Athletics Championships, as part of its larger ambition to host the 2036 Olympics.
Who is Mondo Duplantis?
Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis is perhaps the greatest track and field athlete of all time. Duplantis, a pole vaulter, has broken the world record 15 times since 2020 in a remarkable display of dominance. The Swedish star cleared 6.31m at the Mondo Classic indoor meet in Uppsala, Sweden. Broke the world record for the 15th time in his careerImproved my own mark by one centimeter.
Unlike most track and field disciplines, the pole vault has a single world record covering both indoor and outdoor performances. And it happened six years ago at an indoor meet in Poland, where Duplantis broke the pole vault record for the first time.
In a six-year world record run, he also won two Olympic gold medals, including a world record at the 2024 Paris Games, claimed the Laureus World Sports Award, and extended a 38-meet winning streak through 2023.
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