After cricket made its Olympic debut in the 1900 Paris Games, the organizers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics have recommended the inclusion of cricket, marking a historic return to the Olympic stage after a 128-year hiatus.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued an official statement confirming cricket’s inclusion, stating that after a thorough two-year collaboration with LA28, cricket has been added to the list of sports proposed for inclusion in the LA Olympics. This recommendation will now be subject to approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In response to this development, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay expressed his delight, saying, “We are thrilled that LA28 has recommended the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics. While this isn’t the final decision, it marks a significant milestone toward bringing cricket back to the Olympics after more than a century. We extend our gratitude to LA28 for their support throughout the evaluation process, and we eagerly await the final decision, which is set to be made at the IOC Session, to be held in India, coinciding with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next week.”
Cricket, a sport embraced by nearly half of the world’s population, has made a solitary appearance in the Olympic Games, that came way back in 1900 Paris Olympics. Just one game was played that year, with Great Britain emerging victorious over the host nation, France, securing the gold medal. This cricket match spanned two days and included four innings, resembling the format of a first-class game.
(Inputs from ANI)