Indian jumpers back WA Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubaneswar as Asian Games tune-up

At a press conference in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, Indian long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Ancy Sojan said the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday, August 22, 2026, would act as a preparatory platform for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Organisers described the event as a $75,000 Silver meet that will feature athletes from around the world.

Sreeshankar, who recently landed his second silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, said the competition would help gauge Indian athletes' readiness ahead of the continental event. “This is a good preparatory event leading up to the Asian Games. The Asian Games is just 29 days away. This is a good pit stop to assess where our training and physical fitness stand. The field is also very strong,” said Sreeshankar.

Ancy pointed to the meet as part of her build-up after breaking Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old record at the same venue during the National inter-state meet in June. “Going through this competition, we can know what we need to do (to improve ourselves) and cover it all. This is part of the preparations,” said Ancy.

Lalit Bhanot, chairman of the Athletics Federation of India Planning Commission, framed the Silver meet as an opportunity for broader athlete exposure and noted ongoing preparations on site. “Our aim is to give exposure to maximum Indian athletes. The National camp for the Asian Games is also going on here,” he said.

Odisha Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj highlighted organisational benefits and confirmed local plans for future events. “The experience of organising this event will help us as we will host the World Indoor and Asian Indoor athletics championships in 2028.” He informed that entry for the Silver meet will be free for the spectators.

The World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet is scheduled to take place at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday, August 22, 2026, providing a competitive outing for Indian athletes in the run-up to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.