Technical officials converged at the shot put circle that shined under the glare of the roof-fitted LED lights, after which one of them started measuring the radius. With less than 24 hours for the 1st National Indoor Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium, the experts strive to get the angle of the throwing sector exactly precise. To prevent a mishap, a throwing cage was installed hours earlier in the direction towards the athletes’ release. Specialised shot put indoor landing mats that are 10 centimetres thick were laid out in an orderly fashion. “This is the first time the shot put event is being held indoors in India. Just making sure everything is as per the rules,” one of the officials said on Monday afternoon.
The novelty factor of an indoor championship holds good for most Indian athletes too. However, with Bhubaneswar named the host city of the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, the Athletics Federation of India president Bahadur Singh Sagoo foresees an increase in closed-roof competitions. The construction of the Kalinga Indoor Stadium, the only such facility in the country, was completed just two years ago.
Long jump David P, the winner of last year’s Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, is set for his indoor competition debut. He predicts a 10-to-15 centimetre potential benefit for long jumpers because of the fast runway. “There is good speed on the runway as this is a Mondo track. The competition is going to be fun,” David said. Like his competitors, 24-year-old David will notice that the spectators sit much closer to the field of play in the smaller indoor area. ‘The feeling of everything being just next to me’, is how triple jump national record holder Praveen Chithravel described his experience of competing indoors.
Yoandri Betanzos, the jumps coach at the Inspire Institute of Sport, is overseeing the training of two triple jumpers and one long jumper. Betanzos says lack of wind in a closed indoor facility, which eliminates tailwind or headwind, will be a novel experience for these women jumpers. “The more they compete indoors, the better they will become. These athletes need to participate in indoor competitions outside India,” Betanzos, a World Championship silver medallist in the triple jump, explains.
The spectacle: 60m hurdles
Among the handful of experienced indoor campaigners is former national record holder in the 60-metre hurdles Siddhant Thingalaya. The 35-year-old is making a comeback after an ACL injury at last year’s national games. He stressed on the importance of getting out of the blocks lightning quick. The absence of a 100m track indoors makes the 60m, the main attraction in indoor athletics. “There are just five hurdles in the 60 metres instead of 10 in the 110 metre hurdles. Good acceleration off the blocks is the main factor in the 60 metres because before you know it, the race is over. In the 110-metre hurdles, there is an opportunity to fight back,” Thingalaya said.
The Kalinga Indoor Stadium will host World Indoor Championships in 2028. (PHOTO: AFI)
Troy Douglas, the head coach of IIS, is sold on indoor athletics.
“It is a huge benefit for athletes because it breaks the monotony of a long training block (September to March-April) in India. Now, if we include some indoor competitions, the coach can gauge how sharp an athlete is. It is an opportunity to get the athletes to compete. I am glad that we are having an indoor competition in India. I want to see if we can get at least three competitions indoors in 2027, where we can invite athletes from other Asian countries too,” Douglas said.
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James Hillier, the Athletics Director of the Reliance Foundation, like Douglas, sees merit in indoor athletics. He wants to see Indian athletes becoming inclined towards indoor athletics. “There’s a little bit of a belief here (in India) that if you do indoors, you can’t be ready for outdoors. It’s a flawed logic. You have to just plan well, organise yourself well, and then you can do the indoors and the outdoors,” Hillier said.
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India’s fastest athlete Animesh Kujur is the star attraction in the 60 metres. The national record holder in the 100 metres and the 200 metres, 22-year-old Animesh will start his season at the national indoor championships here.
“This will be my first indoor championship. The 60-metres is about how explosive you are. If I set a good PB (personal best) in the 60 metres, it will boost my confidence and give me the belief that I can do better in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. The 60 metres will tell me at what level I am currently,” Animesh said.
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As a new chapter begins in Indian track and field, the athletes are excited, ready to seize the opportunity in a modern stadium in Bhubaneswar, the city where the best in the world will land for the World Indoor Championships in two years.
