The qualification standards for the Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour meet were announced by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday.
The athletics event will take place for the first time at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, starting August 10 and has been pencilled in as the 1st Indian Open.
Qualification of entry standards is the minimum marks athletes need to achieve within a fixed qualification window in order to be eligible to compete in a particular meet.
Organised annually by World Athletics, the Continental Tour is an annual series of track and field competitions. It is the second tier of global meetings after the elite Diamond League.
Established in 2020, the Continental Tour has four levels – gold, silver, bronze and challenger. The Indian Open is a bronze-level meet.
More than 150 athletes from over 10 countries are expected to participate in 20 disciplines at the Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour meet.
The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, also held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, was the last time India hosted a multi-sport international athletics meet.
Prior to that, India also hosted the 2013 Asian Championships at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.
Two-time Olympic medallist and javelin throw world champion Neeraj Chopra also hosted and won the inaugural edition of the NC Classic earlier this month. However, it featured only the javelin throw.
The NC Classic was named in Neeraj’s honour and was the first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level or World Athletics Category A event held in India.
Several top Indian athletes and foreign talents are expected to take part in the Indian Open. Neeraj, though, won’t be taking part.