It is mid-June and almost time for a decision to be taken on which sports find inclusion at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. And for all in India, the one point of interest is cricket possibly being part of the biggest sporting show on Earth. Will cricket make it back to the Olympics after more than a century, and will someone like Shubman Gill have the opportunity to win an Olympic medal?
The latest news on cricket’s possible inclusion for LA 2028 continues to be positive for the sport. While the LA 28 Committee have done some very good work on why sports should be included – all sports, existing and new, are being measured on the same criteria – in an effort to de-politicize which sports stay, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) aren’t on the same page with this approach and are resisting it.
- More: Cricket in LA Olympics?
In fact, this approach has resulted in its own set of challenges – LA ’28 want sports that have broad fan and commercial appeal, and not just those that have always been there and have political sway in Lausanne. It is a data-and-insight driven approach from LA ’28 aimed at growing the appeal of the Games, but that hasn’t going down well in Lausanne.
So what is the possible outcome of this cold war? Which are the sports likely to lose out, and what happens to cricket after possible inclusion in LA?
Cricket, however, is still in a relatively good place, as a senior figure who is in the know confirmed. “We are in a really good place – both LA ’28 and the IOC understands the scale of cricket and its appeal,” said the source. “However, it also depends on the flexibility of the 10,500 [number of athletes] cap. I think cricket is still very much in a strong position – because the IOC and LA28 both feel they need cricket if they’re to crack South Asia.”