Chennai to host 2029 Asian Athletics Championships

Asian Athletics announced on Tuesday, November 10 that Chennai will host the 2029 Asian Athletics Championships. The governing body released an official statement confirming the city as the venue for the 2029 edition.

The event will mark the fourth time India has staged the Asian Athletics Championships, after New Delhi in 1989, Pune in 2013 and Bhubaneswar in 2017. The competition returns to India after a 12-year absence and Chennai is set to host the 28th edition of the biennial meet.

C. Latha, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Athletics Association (TNAA), said the championships will most likely take place in August. She added: “We made our presentation (the online presentation was made by Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary of SDAT) and highlighted the legacy of the Nehru Stadium in hosting international meets and the availability of the practice facility at the Nehru ‘B’ ground. “We also stressed that Chennai has an international airport and good hotels close to the venue. The State Government will, in any case, relay the main athletics track soon.”

A social-media post circulated naming the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the proposed venue and describing Chennai as a front-runner to host the championships. The post presented the city as the leading candidate in early reporting around the announcement.

Organisers and supporters described the appointment as a positive development for athletics in India. The article states: "This is also a big step for the sport’s development in the nation," and notes Indian athletes "have delivered consistent, improved performances in recent times, as witnessed at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games earlier this year."

The announcement was linked in the report to India’s broader ambitions around major-event hosting, with the piece saying it "will also help India strengthen its participation in the race to host the 2036 Olympics." It lists Qatar, Germany, Hungary, Türkiye, and South Africa as other competitors for the 2036 hosting opportunity.

Before Chennai stages the 2029 edition, the 27th Asian Athletics Championships are scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, from May 28 to June 2, 2027.