The Olympics are an ancient tournament where the world’s elite sports players and teams compete for gold medals. Held on a 4-year schedule, the Olympics hold a special place in the hearts of sports fans. The major international sports event has been going on since 8 century BC, making it the longest living sports tournament out there.
All the most popular sports such as football, basketball, and tennis are present at the Olympics. There’s one notable and strange omission, though – cricket. While many think that cricket is on the list of Olympic sports, it hasn’t been for a long time. However, thanks to the latest push from the International Cricket Council (ICC), that may happen sooner than expected.
Are the LA 2028 Olympics a Realistic Date?
Working groups have just begun assembling all the required documents to make a push for cricket to appear on the list of sports in the 2028 LA Olympics. The last time cricket has been an Olympic sport was in 1900, which is over a century ago. Faltering interest in the sport has made it an afterthought since then, but the recent resurgence in popularity may lead to its inclusion in the Olympics once again.
The ICC is now openly campaigning for the sport to be included in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and hopefully beyond it. Cricket is the dominant sport in India and a major one in England and Australia, with new stars such as Virat Kohli being among the highest paid athletes in the world. It’s becoming a pretty major sport, so it’s a bit strange that it’s not on the list of Olympic sports. India’s go-to site for cricket news, videos and latest scores can keep you in the loop on all things related to cricket, including on and off events surrounding the Indian Premier League. A glance at the site will show you just how big of a sport, cricket has become.
130 Years in the Making
The ICC’s efforts will try to break a nearly 130-year absence from the Olympic schedule. England’s Ian Watmore will head the ICC Olympics Working Group. He hopes to make a hard push for the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics. The Working Group has the backing of several national cricket boards and governing bodies, including the Board of Control for Cricket of India.
Cricket Australia has also voiced its support. The bid will also be supported by Cricket West Indies, so the campaign now has the backing of all the major cricket bodies. Australia’s support is key, as the country hopes to have cricket on board for the 2032 games in Brisbane.
According to IOC regulations, the lineup of sports must be confirmed at least three years prior to the start of the Olympics. There will certainly be several years of ICC campaigns for the inclusion of cricket as a sport for the LA Olympics in 2028. It won’t be easy. Lacrosse governing bodies are also eyeing the 2028 edition of the Olympics, just like softball, flag football, and MMA. Baseball has been featured in 2021 and dropped for 2024, but is scheduled for a return in 2028. Meanwhile, squash, netball, and lawn bowls are pushing for inclusion in the 2032 Olympics.
It will be interesting to see if cricket makes the cut just in time for 2028. The popularity of the sport has never been on a higher level, and the quality of international and club-level teams is pretty high too. With so many passionate cricket fans around the globe, cricket surely deserves to book a spot in the Olympics. It will certainly be of great value to the LA 2028 tournament and the millions of fans it has across the USA.