Olympic chiefs to rule on cricket for Los Angeles Games in 2028

A decision on whether cricket will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has been postponed amid reports of disagreements within the organising committee.

The IOC has postponed a decision on whether cricket is admitted into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics amid reports of disagreements with the Organising Committee.

An official announcement of cricket’s first entry to the Olympics since Paris in 1900 was scheduled to take place on Friday night, but decisions over which new sports are to be included in LA has been removed from the Executive Board of the IOC’s agenda for this meeting.

The move sets up the prospect for a blockbuster announcement at the IOC’s next session scheduled to take place in Mumbai – the epicentre of cricket – in mid-October.

There is a prevailing expectation that cricket will be included in the LA 2028 Olympic program, and announcing it in Mumbai could be a great opportunity to make a grand unveiling, particularly given interest around whether India could host the Olympics in 2036.

However, Inside The Games reported that the sudden postponement of a call on cricket and other sports “suggests disagreements with the Organising Committee.

“Due to ongoing discussions between the IOC and the Organising Committee, the Olympic Programme Commission has not yet had the opportunity to hold its meeting to prepare its final recommendation for the IOC EB,” said an IOC statement.

As reported by this masthead earlier this week, a potential barrier for cricket’s inclusion has always been the large number of participating athletes, given both a men’s and women’s cricket program would be likely.

Cricket’s entry to the Olympics has been delayed. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Olympic organising committees in the past have shown strong preferences towards admitting individual sports due to the massive logistical exercise that would be shoehorning 12-16 cricket teams and their entourages into an Olympic village.

However, it’s understood one possible solution might be to play pre-Games qualifying rounds ahead of a finals series after the opening ceremony – therefore cutting down on the number of cricketers that would need to be accommodated in a village.

Cricket has been fighting for many years to be admitted to the Olympics, and is one of nine sports in the running for inclusion in Los Angeles.

A decision is now expected when the IOC EB meets in Mumbai on October 15-17.

IOC President Thomas Bach is known to be a fan of cricket’s inclusion at Los Angeles, mindful of the massive television audiences and sponsorship dollars that would come in from the subcontinent markets that have never been fully engaged in the Games.

Olympic chiefs to rule on cricket for LA Games

– The Times

Cricket is set to be given the go-ahead this week to be included at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board will decide on additional sports for the LA Games on Friday and sources say men’s and women’s T20 cricket will be included. Any decision will need to be ratified by the IOC’s session in Mumbai, India, next month. Thomas Bach, the IOC’s president, is understood to be very keen to include cricket because of its appeal to the vast populations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which are traditionally not so engaged by Olympic sports. An Olympic T20 tournament would be expected to attract enormous numbers of TV viewers.

LA 2028 organisers (LA28) are understood to be willing to accommodate cricket in return for “flag football” — a non-contact version of American football — being included as well.

Mitchell Marsh in action during Australia’s T20 clash with South Africa last week. Picture: Getty Images

Bach has been encouraging India to bid for the 2036 Olympics, which would be the first time it has hosted the Games. Having cricket established as an Olympic sport would be a big boost towards that and would also be appropriate for the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.

It would also receive a positive reception in Mumbai during the IOC session on October 15-17.

Bach said at the weekend that he was “a fan of cricket” and last year was pictured taking part in a women’s cricket match in Fiji. Bach also confirmed to CNBC-TV18 that the “T20 format” would be the one used and that it was “very possible” to accommodate it in the Olympic program.

The campaign for cricket to become an Olympic sport initially faced some objections from the Indian board because of concerns over scheduling clashes, but once those were overcome it has been supported strongly by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Alyssa Healy plays a shot during the T20 Women's World in Cape Town earlier this year. Picture: AFP

The international federation believes inclusion in the Olympics will broaden the appeal of the sport and further advance the visibility of women’s cricket.

Cricket has been played at the Olympics only once before: at the 1900 Games in Paris.

Last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham featured an eight-team women’s T20 competition. It was seen as a test event for including cricket in a multi-sport event with some of the LA28 organising committee attending and giving it a seal of approval.

The Times

Originally published as Olympic chiefs to rule on cricket for Los Angeles Games in 2028