In a big boost to cricket enthusiasts across the world, especially in India, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given a green signal to the inclusion of cricket and four other sports in the 2028 Los Angeles games, according to an IOC statement made after the 141st IOC voting session held in Mumbai on Monday.
Two IOC members opposed it and one abstained from voting.
"The proposal from the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (@LA28) to include five new sports in the programme has been accepted by the IOC Session. Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash will be in the programme at LA28," the IOC announced via X.
Notably, cricket will return to the biggest sporting event after a gap of 128 years in 2028, the IOC says. Cricket made its sole appearance in the 1900 Paris Olympics, when only two teams took part, and Great Britain defeated France in the final.
For baseball and softball, cricket, and lacrosse, it will be a return to the Olympic Games, while flag football and squash will be making their Olympic debut in LA. Baseball and softball have been part of the programme at several editions of the Olympic Games, most recently in Tokyo 2020. Lacrosse was included in the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908.
IOC President Thomas Bach says the choice of these five new 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,” he says, adding their inclusion will allow the 'Olympic Movement' to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.
Welcoming the decision to include cricket in the multi-sport extravaganza, IOC member and Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani says she is delighted the IOC voted to include cricket as an Olympic sport in the LA Summer Olympics 2028.
"Cricket is one of the most loved sports globally, and the second most watched. For 1.4 billion Indians, cricket is not just a sport, it's a religion! So I’m delighted that this historic resolution was passed at the 141st IOC Session taking place right here in our country in Mumbai. The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics will create deeper engagement for the Olympic movement in newer geographies. And at the same time, provides a boost to cricket’s growing international popularity."
Nita Ambani is the first Indian woman to become an IOC member. “I thank and congratulate the IOC and the LA Organising Committee for their support of this landmark decision. It's truly a day of great joy and jubilation," she adds.
The IOC session is also being held in India for only the 2nd time in history, returning to the country after 40 years. “I’m delighted that this historic resolution was passed at the one hundred and forty-first IOC Session taking place right here in our country in Mumbai,” Ambani adds.
