United States
United Kingdom
Summary:
- The IOC has unofficially approved the addition of cricket to the 2028 Olympics
- As per formalities, it will be officially approved at the upcoming IOC Session
- Men and women’s cricket teams will take part in a T20 competition at the Olympics
Cricket fans around the world were keen on seeing their favourite sport added to the Olympics.
There were talks earlier this year that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was seriously considering adding cricket along with a few other sports to the Olympic calendar.
IOC To Make Formal Announcement Shortly
The IOC will proceed with its formalities during the next IOC Session which will take place next week. Once done, the IOC should confirm that cricket will feature at the 2028 LA Olympics. Cricket along with baseball, softball, lacrosse, breakdancing and squash will be added to the Olympic Games. Breakdancing will make a one-off appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics before being dropped.
The IOC Session will be held in Mumbai next week and an official announcement will then be made by the IOC confirming the addition of cricket to the 2028 LA Olympics. The ICC ODI World Cup is currently taking place in India and the entire cricketing world is tuned into the tournament, which makes it a perfect setup for the IOC to announce cricket being added to the Olympics.
Cricket will be making a comeback to the Olympics after a 128 year period and is likely to be a part of the Olympics going forward, given the enormous popularity of the game.
IOC Happy To Add Cricket To The Olympics
The Olympics will feature cricket in its T20 format with both men and women’s teams competing. The T20 format is the shortest format of the game and is the most popular format of cricket in the world.
In a statement, ICC chairman Greg Barclay said
We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics. Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century. I’d like to thank LA28 for their support during the new sport evaluation process over last two years and we look forward to the final decision being taken at the IOC Session, in India, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next week.
