Explained: What Is the Continental Tour, World Athletics Event Debuting in India?
The World Athletics Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar on August 10 will see participation from 160 athletes representing 17 countries.
A World Athletics Continental Tour meet, titled the Indian Open, is set to be held in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, August 10, marking one of the biggest international athletics competitions hosted by India. This prestigious Bronze-level meet, just one tier below the Diamond League, will witness 160 athletes competing across 19 events.
Out of the total 160 athletes, 97 are from India while 63 belong to 16 other nations. Athletes from a total of 17 countries will be taking part in this competition.
The men’s javelin throw is anticipated to be one of the main attractions, with India’s promising talents Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh participating. Sri Lanka’s Sumeda Ranasinghe and Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage are also expected to deliver strong performances. Notably, Pathirage secured a bronze medal in the recent NC Classic held in Bengaluru.
Sprint events are also likely to grab attention, with India’s fastest man, Animesh Kujur, taking part in both the 100m and 200m races.
“This is the country’s first Continental Tour event, and we are hoping for a successful meet so that the world sees our ability to host such competitions,” Athletics Federation of India President Bahadur Singh Sagoo stated while addressing the media.
The World Athletics Continental Tour is an annual series of track and field competitions, considered the second tier of global one-day meets, positioned just below the Diamond League.
These events offer athletes an organised platform to compete, earn prize money, and collect important world ranking points.
The tour is categorised into Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers, each offering varying levels of competition and prize funds. The Indian leg of the tour will have a total prize purse of USD 25,000 (approximately ₹22 lakh).
“It is compulsory to include at least one throwing event and one jumping event. The meet must consist of a minimum of 12 disciplines, including five women’s events. Some events couldn’t be accommodated due to the time restriction — as per World Athletics rules, a one-day Continental Tour event should not exceed two hours and 30 minutes,” Sagoo explained.
