New Delhi: The T20 format of crickethas been officially included in the programme for Los Angeles Olympics 2028 with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting on Monday to include the men’s and women’s competitions along with four others in the roster for LA Games.
The announcement is special for several reasons. It comes during the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 being hosted by India and has been made at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai which marks the return of the prestigious gathering to India after a gap of 40 years.
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board had last week approved the proposal of Los Angeles Games organisers to include the sport in the programme. Apart from cricket, which will be played in T20 format for among men’s and women’s teams, four other sports — baseball-softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash — also got the nod on Monday.
IOC President Thomas Bach had said last week that the inclusion of cricket and four other sports — only for the Los Angeles Games 2028 — was in line with the American sports culture and will also felicitate the Olympic movement to engage with new athletes and fan communities in the US as well as globally.
