KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (Kashmir English): Cricket is officially set to be included in the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan next year, with the matches to be played in the T20 format.
Several meetings were held between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) before the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) confirmed the decision, with final approval pending a formal affirmation from the OCA Board that is most probably a mere formality.
T20 format cricket
The games will be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026, while the cricket to be played in the T20 format.
Media outlets quoted a Japan Cricket Association (JCA) official as having said that the 3rd OCA Coordination Committee meeting will be held on May 1 and 2, where final nod regarding the cricket competition is expected.
“The OCA Board will still need to approve it, although we think that is just a formality. But until they do, it is not 100 percent,” a JCA official told media. The announcement came during the OCA’s third Coordination Committee Meeting held between April 30 and May 2.
With the decision announced, the final list of participating teams is expected to be announced following further deliberations in the coming week.
In the 2022 edition held in Hangzhou, India dominated the cricket competition, claiming gold in both the men’s and women’s categories. As many as 14 men’s and nine women’s teams participated in that tournament.
The T20 format will be included in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, marking its first Olympic appearance since 1900, when Great Britain defeated France in a two-team contest in Paris.
