The announcement was made during the 141st IOC Session held in Mumbai, marking a significant moment as the IOC returned to India after a 40-year gap.
The decision to incorporate cricket, both for men and women, along with four other sports, reflects the IOC's intention to embrace American sports culture and engage new athletes and fan communities in the United States and worldwide.
The move to include T20 cricket in the Olympics has been met with excitement and enthusiasm, especially since it coincides with the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 hosted by India.
This announcement comes as a breakthrough for the sport, which has not been part of the Olympics since 1900.
IOC President Thomas Bach had expressed his support for the inclusion of cricket and four other sports, emphasizing their alignment with the American sporting landscape.
During a media briefing following the Executive Board meeting on October 13, Bach stated, “We see growing popularity of cricket, particularly the T20 format. The World Cup (50 overs) is a huge success already.”
Cricket will be joined by baseball-softball, lacrosse (sixes), squash, and flag football in the Los Angeles Games 2028 program, making it a truly global spectacle.
The Los Angeles Games organizing committee initially proposed a six-team event for both men's and women's T20 cricket, with the United States fielding teams as the host nation. However, the final decisions regarding the number of teams and the qualification system are yet to be determined in collaboration with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
IOC Session approves @LA28’s proposal for 5⃣ additional sports:
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) October 16, 2023
⚾Baseball/🥎softball, 🏏cricket, 🏈flag football, 🥍lacrosse and ⚫squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. #LA28 pic.twitter.com/y7CLk2UEYx
"We will work with the ICC as we do in all sports. We are not working with different national franchises here; we are working with respective international federations and looking forward to receiving their ideas on how to use this inclusion in the Olympic program to make cricket even more popular across the globe," Bach explained.
Bach highlighted that the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics represents an opportunity to engage with the sport's vast fan and athlete community, providing a platform for these communities to interact with the global audience of Olympic sports, which may not have had the chance to do so before.
"It is an opportunity to engage with the fan and athlete community, to which we have had so far very little or no access. We see how one can enrich the other," Bach stated.
For cricket enthusiasts in India, the inclusion of T20 cricket in the Olympic program is a cause for celebration. The sport, often described as a religion in the country, is anticipated to boost broadcast revenue by at least $100 million when it debuts at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The combination of cricket's widespread appeal and the global platform offered by the Olympics is expected to create an unforgettable and unmissable sporting event.
With the countdown to the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 officially underway, cricket fans from around the world can look forward to witnessing a thrilling spectacle as the T20 format takes its place on the Olympic stage for the first time in over a century.
This historic inclusion is set to leave an indelible mark on the world of cricket and the Olympics alike, opening new horizons for both the sport and the global sporting community.
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