Netball backed for 2032 Olympics - but there is one question

Netball could be the next team sport added to the Olympic program, as the global governing body backs Netball Australia’s bid for inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Games.

NETBALL could be the next team sport added to the Olympic program, as the global governing body backs Netball Australia’s bid for inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Games.

Netball Australia yesterday declared its intent to see the sport played on the world’s biggest stage in 2032, and has the support of World Netball.

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Australia’s Liz Watson. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

While saying it would be awesome for netball to be part of the program, Cairns Netball president Tanya Dearns, an Olympic Games purist, questioned whether it was the perfect fit for the sport, and how it would work with netball’s pinnacle events.

The world championships are played every four years, and since its addition to the Commonwealth Games program, there has been a major competition every two years.

“It is a sport primarily played by Commonwealth countries and has been part of those Games since 1998,” said Dearns, a former New Zealand international.

“It’s just whether it will become a pinnacle event for the sake of being a pinnacle event.

“It would be awesome, but I’m not sure if it’s the right fit.”

Australia’s Kiera Austin. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

In a statement released on Monday, NA said the sport was played by more than “20 million people across more than 80 countries”.

Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said netball deserved be at the Olympics.

“We want our junior netballers to dream of Olympic glory in the sport they love,” Ryan said. “We want our netball fans, who are the proudest and most passionate supporters, to cheer on their favourite athletes as they compete in the green and gold with the whole world watching on.

“Our sport deserves to be played on the biggest stage.”

Cairns Convention Centre is slated to host the Constellation Cup clash between Australia and New Zealand on October 17.

Sydney will also host the Netball World Cup in 2027.

Originally published as Netball backed for 2032 Olympics - but there is one question