LOS ANGELES (Kashmir English): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the dates for cricket’s return to the Los Angeles Olympic Games, stating that matches will be played on June 12, 2028.
The sport is returning to the Olympic Games for the first time in 128 years. It was in 1900 Paris Games when Cricket was last included in the Olympic Games.
There is a proposal of six-team Twenty20 format for men and women in the Los Angeles Games 2028.
With the sport’s global fan base estimated at 2.5 billion people, cricket’s inclusion has the potential to activate and engage new audiences, according to the IOC.
The sport’s highly anticipated return was revealed by the IOC with the announcement of official competition schedule.
Cricket “will play out starting July 12, with the 20th and 29th of the same month earmarked for the medal matches”, the IOC press release read.
Cricket matches scheduled at Los Angeles Olympics
“There are no cricket matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 at LA28,” it added. “Most of the matchdays will be double headers, with the games starting from 9am and 6:30pm as per local Los Angeles time. It’s the same for the medal matches.”
Six nations will be competing in each of the men’s and women’s formats. A total of 90 athlete quotas has been allocated for each gender with every team allowed to name a 15-member squad.
All games at the Los Angeles Olympics will be held in a temporary, purpose-built venue at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles, according to the press release.
In May, Cricket West Indies (CWI) urged the world Cricket governing body to give Caribbean nations a chance to qualify for the 2028 Games and avoid the region being “shut out of history”.
“All we are asking is that our individual nations’ exceptional Olympic legacy be considered in the conversation,” CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said. “Our nations have proudly flown their individual flags atop Olympic podiums as perennial gold medalists.
“Now, with cricket’s inclusion, we must ensure that our cricketers are not shut out of history. We are ready to collaborate. We are ready to compete. But above all, we are asking for fairness.”
