The start of a new era in athletics with the National indoor championships.

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is buzzing with excitement as the inaugural National Indoor Championships are set to begin on Tuesday. The top Indian athletes are all geared up for the two-day event, including sprinter Animesh Kujur and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel. They believe that this competition will serve as a great practice opportunity for the upcoming Asian Games later this year.

Kujur, who holds the national record in both 100m and 200m outdoor events, is thrilled to make his indoor debut as part of a 33-member team from Odisha. He will be competing in the 60m race, eager to showcase his explosive speed and agility on the track. On the other hand, Chithravel, the national record holder in triple jump, will represent Tamil Nadu but will be competing in the long jump event at this championships.

Among the 300 athletes participating in the event, high jumper Sarvesh Kushare stands out with his recent achievement of making it to the finals in the 2025 World Championships. He is looking forward to competing at the state-of-the-art indoor facility at the Kalinga Stadium complex. Kushare's main focus this year is the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, and he hopes to use this indoor competition to assess his current level and identify areas for improvement.

For many Indian athletes, the National Indoor Championships will be a new and exciting experience. The organizers and officials of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) are also thrilled to host this event. Unlike outdoor events, indoor competitions take place on a 200m track in a closed and smaller facility.

The track is narrower, and the turns are banked, providing a different challenge for the athletes. Field events like high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, and shot put will be included, but throw events like javelin, discus, and hammer are excluded due to obvious reasons. One of the major advantages of indoor events is that they are not affected by wind, and the weather conditions remain consistent throughout the competition.

This allows for a fair and consistent performance by the athletes. A total of 300 athletes from different states, including Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, will be competing in this national championship. Chithravel, the most experienced athlete in terms of indoor competitions, has previously won a silver medal in the 2023 Asian Indoor Championships.

Chithravel expressed his enthusiasm for indoor events, saying that they provide a feel-good atmosphere and consistent performance as there is no wind factor to affect the results. He has also participated in the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Similarly, Kushare, who trains at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, is excited to compete in an indoor event for the first time.

The President of AFI, Bahadur Singh Sagoo, is hopeful that the National Indoor Championships will bring more recognition to the country in the field of indoor competitions. He mentioned India's recent success in the Asian Indoor Championships held in China and is optimistic about the future of indoor athletics in the country. He also talked about the upcoming National Relay Championships in Chandigarh on March 28, where the goal is to qualify for the World Relays by having at least two foreign teams participate.

Overall, the first National Indoor Championships are set to be a thrilling and competitive event, with the top Indian athletes showcasing their talents and striving for excellence. The athletes are looking forward to the challenge, and the AFI is determined to bring more recognition to India in the world of indoor athletics.