The 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026 is scheduled for March 28, 2026, in Chandigarh. Organised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), this is not just another domestic relay meet. It doubles as the official selection trial for India’s team at the World Athletics Relays 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana, on May 2-3.
Foreign teams have also confirmed their participation, making this a competitive day for Indian relay squads ahead of one of the most important international relay competitions of the year.
Here is everything you need to know: the schedule, the events, the national records India is chasing, and exactly why March 28 matters for Indian athletics in 2026.
3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026 |
| Date | March 28, 2026 |
| Venue | Chandigarh |
| Organiser | Athletics Federation of India (AFI) |
| Key Role | Selection trials for World Athletics Relays 2026 (Gaborone, Botswana) |
| International Teams | Sri Lanka confirmed (4 relay teams); 3-4 foreign teams invited |
| World Relays Date | May 2-3, 2026, Gaborone, Botswana |
| Qualification Deadline | April 5, 2026 (World Athletics ranking window) |
Note: The competition was originally slated for April 18, 2026, but was postponed to March 28 following an AFI calendar revision. The 7th Indian Open 400m meet was also shifted from March 28 to March 21 as part of the same update.
Why the 3rd National Open Relay Competition Matters in 2026
Two things make this relay meet unusually important. First, it is the selection trial for the World Athletics Relays in Botswana. Second, it sits right before the April 5 World Athletics qualification deadline, giving Indian teams one of their last chances to improve their global relay rankings.
AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo confirmed both points on the sidelines of the National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar on March 24: India wants to qualify for the World Relays from this meet in Chandigarh and needs at least two foreign teams to compete to make that possible.
AFI senior vice-president Anju Bobby George had earlier confirmed that the selection trials for the World Relays will be held during the third National Open Relay Competition on March 28 in Chandigarh, and foreign teams are also expected to compete.
The World Relays Qualification Deadline
The World Athletics Relays 2026 qualification window runs from January 1, 2025, to April 5, 2026. Rankings are based on performances during this period. India’s relay teams need to rank among the top 24 globally in their respective events to gain entry.
A fast time on March 28, against international competition, could be the performance that lifts India into a qualifying position before the window closes on April 5, just eight days later.
International Teams at Chandigarh: Sri Lanka Confirmed
AFI has invited 3-4 foreign teams to participate in the meet. Sri Lanka has confirmed entry with four relay teams across events. Their participation was organised by the Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) committee, with AFI specifically requesting two men’s relay teams to raise the competitive standard.
Why does India need foreign teams to qualify for the World Relays? Because the World Athletics qualification system uses world rankings, which are updated based on performances against competitive fields. Running against only domestic squads yields times that may not carry the same ranking weight as those from races against international opposition. AFI needs quality competition to generate rankings-relevant results.
For Sri Lanka, the Chandigarh meet provides a race-time against strong competition at a stage when their own relay program is building toward the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. So both sides get something from the arrangement.
Events at the 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026
As with previous editions of the National Open Relay Competition, the meet is expected to include the full suite of relay events. Based on past editions (including the National Relay Carnival 2025 held at the same venue in Chandigarh), the standard relay disciplines are:
- Men’s 4x100m relay
- Women’s 4x100m relay
- Men’s 4x400m relay
- Women’s 4x400m relay
- Mixed 4x400m relay
The mixed 4x400m relay is particularly important given India’s track record in the event, including the national record of 3:12.87s set in 2024 and their close-but-no-cigar finish at the World Relays in Guangzhou in 2025, where they clocked 3:14.81s to finish fourth in their heat, just missing the qualification cut.
India’s Current Relay National Records Going into the Meet
These are the benchmarks India’s relay teams are working from heading into March 28:
| Event | National Record | Set At |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s 4x100m | 38.69s | National Relay Carnival 2025, Chandigarh (Apr 2025) |
| Men’s 4x400m | 2:59.05s | World Athletics Championships 2023, Budapest |
| Women’s 4x100m | 44.12s | National Relay Carnival 2025, Chandigarh (Apr 2025) |
| Women’s 4x400m | 3:32.64s | National Relay Carnival 2025, Chandigarh (Apr 2025) |
| Mixed 4x400m | 3:12.87s | National Inter-State Athletics Championships 2024, Panchkula |
Key Performances to Note
The quartet of Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar, and Amlan Borgohain set the men’s 4x100m national record of 38.69s at the National Relay Carnival 2025 in Chandigarh itself. It broke a 15-year-old record of 38.89s set at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal, and Rajesh Ramesh set the men’s 4x400m national record of 2:59.05s at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest It was also an Asian record at the time, making India the first Asian team to go under 3:00 in the event.
Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Dandi Jyothika, and Kiran Pahal set the mixed 4x400m national record of 3:12.87s at the 2024 National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Panchkula.
What are the World Athletics Relays 2026?
The Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, will host the 2026 World Athletics Relays on May 2–3, 2026. This marks the first time African soil has hosted the World Relays
Eight teams per event that competed at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo have already secured their spots at Gaborone. The remaining places will go to top-ranked teams from the January 1, 2025, to April 5, 2026, qualification window.
| Event | Schedule (Gaborone, May 2-3, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Mixed 4x100m Heats | May 2, 2026 |
| Mixed 4x400m Heats | May 2, 2026 |
| Men’s 4x100m | May 3, 2026 |
| Women’s 4x100m | May 3, 2026 |
| Men’s 4x400m Final | May 3, 2026 |
| Women’s 4x400m Final | May 3, 2026 |
India’s World Relays History
India last competed at the World Athletics Relays 2025 in Guangzhou, China. The men’s 4x400m team clocked 3:04.49s and finished seventh in their heat. The mixed 4x400m team recorded 3:14.81s and finished fourth in Heat 2, one place short of a qualification spot for the World Athletics Championships.
Both teams missed World Championship qualification from Guangzhou. The March 28 meeting in Chandigarh is effectively India’s attempt to correct that and secure a stronger standing before Gaborone.
Where the 3rd National Open Relay Competition Fits in the 2026 Calendar
Active Voice: “The meet sits at a critical junction in the AFI 2026 domestic calendar, which the federation expanded from 32 to 40 events this year. Here is the sequence of key events around it:
- March 24-25: 1st National Indoor Athletics Championships, Bhubaneswar
- March 28: 3rd National Open Relay Competition, Chandigarh (World Relays Selection)
- April 4-5: Indian Athletics Series 1 and 2 (Bengaluru, Udaipur)
- April 5: World Athletics Rankings qualification window closes
- May 2-3: World Athletics Relays, Gaborone, Botswana
- May 22-25: 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Championships, Ranchi (CWG 2026 final selection trials)
- July 23 to August 2: Commonwealth Games 2026, Glasgow, Scotland
- September 19 to October 4: Asian Games 2026, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
The relay competition in Chandigarh is the first real acid test of the 2026 season for India’s sprinters. How the relay teams perform here will shape selection decisions all the way through to the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
Relay Athletes to Watch on March 28
Men’s 4x100m
The quartet of Animesh Kujur (national record holder, 100m: 10.18s, 200m: 20.32s), Gurindervir Singh, Manikanta Hoblidar, and Amlan Borgohain set the national record of 38.69s at the previous edition in Chandigarh. If the same squad lines up in 2026, the crowd in Chandigarh will be watching to see if they can push further toward sub-38.5s.
Men’s 4x400m
India’s men’s 4x400m squad, with its national record of 2:59.05s set at Budapest 2023, is the country’s strongest relay unit globally. Key names in this event include Muhammed Ajmal, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, Jay Kumar, and Rince Joseph.
Mixed 4x400m
India won gold in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi, with the quartet of Rupal Chaudhary, Santosh Kumar, Vishal TK, and Subha Venkatesan clocking 3:18.12s. The mixed team holds the national record of 3:12.87 and will look to get close to that mark on March 28 while competing against the Sri Lankan teams.
How to Follow the 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026
AFI has made digital result submission mandatory for all 2026 competitions. The AFI should publish the results from the March 28 meet on its official website shortly after race day.
- Official Website: indianathletics.in
- Circulars and Schedules: indianathletics.in/circular_category/circular-2026
- Results Page: indianathletics.in/results
- AFI Events Page: indianathletics.in/afi-events
The 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026 will be held on March 28 in Chandigarh.
The 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026, on March 28 in Chandigarh, is one of the most consequential single-day domestic relay meets that India has held in recent years.
With the World Relays qualification window closing on April 5, the competition in Chandigarh essentially provides India its last real shot at improving its global ranking before Botswana. A fast time, especially in the mixed 4x400m and men’s 4x100m, against international opposition could be the difference between being in Gaborone and watching from home.
For the latest results and updates, visit indianathletics.in.
