The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has taken a historic step by officially recommending the inclusion T20 cricket along with four others sports in the 2028 Olympics, which will be hosted by Los Angeles, United States of America. These sports include Baseball/Softball, Cricket (T20), Flag Football, Lacrosse (sixes), and Squash, pending official confirmation.
The announcement regarding these proposed inclusions was shared by the IOC on social media, stating, “Following a review by the Olympic Programme Commission, the IOC Executive Board puts the @LA28 Organising Committee’s additional sports proposal to the IOC Session. Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash are the 5 sports submitted.”
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Cricket enthusiasts worldwide welcomed the prospect of the sport making its return to the Olympic stage. Cricket had its sole appearance in the Olympics back in 1900, where Great Britain emerged victorious against France in the final.
IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his optimism about cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, emphasizing the sport’s growing global popularity. He also highlighted the ongoing success of the Cricket World Cup being held in India.
“Cricket is gaining immense popularity worldwide, and we are currently witnessing a successful Cricket World Cup in India. We eagerly anticipate cricket’s participation in the 2028 Olympics. People of Indian origin are passionate about cricket, and we recently organized a cricket tournament in Dallas. Los Angeles recognized the potential of cricket, and that’s why they have included it in the event,” said Thomas Bach.
Bach further noted that the IOC would collaborate with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to determine the number of participating teams. He emphasized that the IOC’s engagement with cricket could be a win-win situation, boosting cricket’s global presence while providing an opportunity for the Olympic fraternity to connect with cricketers.
“This is a win-win situation where the Olympics will give cricket a global presence. And for the Olympics, it will be an opportunity to engage with the cricketers. In India, we have observed that Olympic sports are gaining popularity, and cricket is already the most popular sport,” he added.
The decision to recommend cricket’s inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics comes after 128 years of anticipation. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also released an official statement confirming cricket’s inclusion, stating, “After a two-year process, in which the ICC worked closely with LA28, the list of sports to be added in LA included cricket, which will now be put forward for approval to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”
Additionally, President Bach addressed the IOC’s decision to ban the Russian Olympic Committee from the Paris Olympics, assuring that Russian athletes would not face penalties for actions taken by their country’s government. The IOC will allow individual players with Russian passports to participate independently, ensuring that they compete under a neutral flag.
“There is no deadline for Russia. We have decided that we will keep a watch on the situation in the future. We will allow individual players with Russian passports. This means that they can participate on their own, and there will be no participation of Russia as a country. These will be neutral individual participations. We will not punish athletes for something done by their country’s government. This applies to all the players,” explained Thomas Bach.
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