The International Olympic Committee decided to include five sports in the LA Olympics in 2028. Read on to know everything about them.
While the Olympic Games cover a host of popular sporting disciplines, there are still quite a few of them which do not find a place in the grandest quadrennial multi-sporting meet on the planet. In a bid to widen its horizon and cater to a broader audience base, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 16 October 2023 approved the inclusion of five sports, such as cricket and flag football, at the Los Angeles (LA) Summer Olympics for 2028.
In a meeting of the IOC in Mumbai, the governing body gave a nod to include lacrosse, squash and baseball-softball, alongside cricket and flag football. The proposal to include these sports was submitted by the organisers of the 2028 Games. For the uninitiated, each host city wields the power to file proposals requesting the inclusion of several sports for their edition of the Olympic Games.
Last week, the five sports were approved by the IOC Executive Board. Around 90 IOC members took part in the voting for the inclusion of these sports (which were considered as a single package), and only two votes stood against them becoming a part of the LA Olympics in 2028.
“The choice of these five sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” said Thomas Bach, president of the IOC.
All about the 5 new sports at LA Olympics 2028
What does the inclusion of cricket mean for the Olympics?
Cricket is slated to make a comeback at the Olympic Games after over 120 years. The only time cricket was played as a sport in the Olympics was in 1900 (the edition of the Olympic Games was held in Paris) in which Great Britain thumped France by a margin of 158 runs in a one-off final.
“The Olympic Games will give cricket a global stage and the opportunity to grow beyond the traditional cricket countries and regions,” Bach said. “For the Olympic movement, it’s the opportunity to engage with fan and athlete communities to which so far we have very little to no access,” he added.
The LA Games proposal is for a six-team tournament in the Twenty20 (T20) format for both the men’s and women’s disciplines. Greg Barclay, chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), said he was “thrilled” by the news of cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles Games.
Flag football and squash also await their Olympic debuts at LA Games 2028
View this post on Instagram
Flag football, a non-contact version of American football played by teams of five, and squash are set to make their debut in the Olympics at the LA Games in 2028. American football made its last appearance in the Olympics at the 1932 Los Angeles Games as a demonstration sport.
After several failed attempts by the World Squash Federation in the past to include the sport in the Olympic Games, squash will now feature in the LA Games in 2028. Previously, sports such as skateboarding, surfing and breakdancing have been preferred over squash at the Olympics.
The return of lacrosse and baseball to the Olympics
View this post on Instagram
In the past, lacrosse appeared as a sport in the Olympic Games on two occasions — once in 1904 and then in 1908. While medals were awarded on only these two occasions, in 1928, 1932 and 1948, it was held as a demonstration sport. For the LA Olympic Games in 2028, the sport will be played in a six-a-side format.
Leslie Rance, chairman of British Lacrosse, described the inclusion of the sport in the Olympic Games once again as a “watershed moment” for lacrosse in the country. “We know there is a lot of work to do over the coming years, firstly to qualify for the Games and then to ensure we are prepared to compete for medals,” he said.
Baseball, on the other hand, has appeared in several previous editions of the Olympic Games. Its women’s counterpart, softball, has also featured in as many as five editions of the Olympics. Both baseball and softball have been a part of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, they will not feature in the 2024 Paris Games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Will cricket be a part of LA Olympics 2028?
Yes, cricket will be a part of the LA Olympics in 2028.
– Which new sports were added to the LA Olympics 2028?
Alongside cricket, baseball-softball and lacrosse, flag football and squash are the new sports to be added to the LA Olympics 2028.
(Main and Featured Images Credits: Courtesy Instagram/@The Olympic Games)
This article originally appeared on Augustman India.
Uddipta writes about sports and watches besides occasionally venturing into the world of automobiles and technology. He was associated with the Indian Express in the capacity of a sub-editor at their Lifestyle desk. A journalism and mass communication student from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Uddipta devotes most of his leisure time to photography and filmmaking. He has contributed photographs to Vogue Italia and several exhibits, and has directed award-winning short films screened at film festivals in India and abroad.
Most Popular
