Gujarat's bid to host two major international athletics events moved a step forward on Monday as a five-member World Athletics delegation began a two-day assessment visit to the state to evaluate sports infrastructure and related facilities for the proposed World Athletics Under-20 Championships in 2028 and the World Athletics Championships in 2031.
The delegation, led by Antti Pihlakoski, Chairman of the Bid Evaluation Panel of World Athletics, commenced its visit with a meeting with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar. The visit, scheduled for June 22 and 23, is aimed at studying and inspecting Gujarat's sports infrastructure and ancillary facilities as part of the evaluation process for the proposed hosting of the two international athletics events.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed confidence that the delegation's inspection of the state's sports facilities would provide a first-hand understanding of Gujarat's preparedness and sporting culture. "The Gujarat government remained optimistic about securing the hosting rights for the World Athletics Championships in 2031 and had accelerated preparations to ensure the successful organisation of the event," he emphasised.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi told the delegation that Gujarat was preparing to host world-class sporting events, including the World Police and Fire Games and the Commonwealth Games 2030. "Infrastructure capable of supporting international sporting competitions was being developed rapidly across key venues in the state," Sanghavi noted.
According to Sanghavi, facilities for hosting global sporting events are being expanded at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave, the Narendra Modi Stadium, described as the world's largest cricket stadium, and the Karai Academy.
World Athletics, the international governing body for athletics, is assessing Gujarat's readiness as a potential host for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in 2028 and the senior World Athletics Championships in 2031. The delegation's visit is expected to include inspections of sports infrastructure and related facilities across the state.
Among those present at the meeting were Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister; Vala, Director General of the Sports Authority of Gujarat; Adille Sumariwalla, Vice-President of World Athletics, and other officials associated with the visit.