Sports
Cricket, new sports considered for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Cricket, with its immense global following, would make a return to the Olympics, having previously appeared only in the 1900 Games.
Lahore: The organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics have expressed their desire to include cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash, baseball, and softball in the Games' program.
Among these sports, three have never been featured in the Olympics before.
Cricket, with its immense global following, would make a return to the Olympics, having previously appeared only in the 1900 Games.
The success of women's cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games has contributed to this proposal, although the International Cricket Council has yet to respond to inquiries.
Flag football, particularly appealing for a U.S.-based Games due to the popularity of the National Football League (NFL), squash, and lacrosse would all make their Olympic debuts if approved. Baseball has been part of previous Games and was added back to the Tokyo program after being omitted in 2012 and 2016. However, it will not be part of the Paris Games. Softball, which is contested by female athletes, has featured in five previous editions of the Summer Games but was also excluded from the Paris agenda.
The recommendations put forth by the organizers will require final approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). A session for this purpose is scheduled in Mumbai later this month. The Los Angeles Times has reported that these sports are likely to receive approval.
The IOC has not yet provided a response to requests for comment. LA28 organizers are expected to officially announce their recommendations in the coming days.