Chennai Set for 2029 Asian Athletics Championships Bid

Chennai is set to be selected as host of the 2029 Asian Athletics Championships, subject to Tamil Nadu submitting the required financial and other guarantees to the Asian Athletics Association.

The continental body took the decision during its 107th council meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, with the final award dependent on the guarantees being presented by the state government. If confirmed, the event would be the 28th edition of the biennial championships and India’s third time staging the continental athletics showpiece.

Tamil Nadu Athletics Association official C Latha, who is in Tokyo as part of the Indian contingent, said a presentation had already been made to the Asian Athletics Association. The association subsequently requested the state-backed guarantees before formally awarding the championships to Chennai.

Guarantees required before final award

Latha said the financial and other guarantees from the Tamil Nadu government were expected to be submitted on Wednesday. She indicated that the Asian Athletics Association had communicated that Chennai would receive the 2029 championships once those documents were in place.

The final decision was therefore expected after the guarantees were received. World Athletics Vice President and Athletics Federation of India spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla attended the Tokyo council meeting and also confirmed that the award was conditional on presentation of the state government’s letters of guarantee.

The requirement means Chennai has not yet been formally confirmed as host. However, the city is in line to secure the event once the requested commitments are submitted, according to the officials involved in the Tokyo discussions.

Hosting the championships would extend India’s recent record of staging the Asian Athletics Championships. Pune hosted the event in 2013, before Bhubaneswar welcomed the 2017 edition. Chennai would become the third Indian host city for the competition.

The 2029 tournament is scheduled to follow the 27th Asian Athletics Championships, which will be held in Xiamen, China, from May 28 to June 2, 2027. Chennai’s proposed edition would be the next listed Indian staging of the senior continental championships.

Part of a wider run of athletics events in India

The prospective Chennai championship comes amid a busy period of major athletics events planned in India. Chandigarh is due to host the Asian Relays Championships in August next year, while Bhubaneswar will stage both the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and the World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2028.

India is also bidding to host the World U20 Athletics Championships in Ahmedabad in 2028. Together, those plans underline a pipeline of international athletics competitions involving Indian cities over the coming years.

For Chennai, the immediate focus remains on the submission of the guarantees requested by the Asian Athletics Association. Their acceptance would complete the process outlined at the Tokyo council meeting and secure the city’s place as host of the 2029 Asian Athletics Championships.