LA Olympics 2028: IOC submits bid for inclusion of five sports including cricket

Numerous International Olympic Committee members urged on Sunday for President Thomas Bach to extend his tenure beyond his second term, continuing into a third term.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday submitted the bids for the inclusion of cricket, along with four other sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, IOC President Thomas Bach said that bids to include baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash at the Olympics in 2028 had been submitted.

These five proposed sports are fully in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States.

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Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan…

— Christian Klaue (@ChKlaue) October 13, 2023

He also congratulated the Indian athletes for their performance at the recently concluded Asian Games.

"Nita Ambani and the team have done a fantastic job. We saw the great performance of team India in Asian Games," Bach said.

IOC President Thomas Bach: Nita Ambani and the team have done a fantastic job. We saw the great performance of team India in Asian games.

Bach also speaks about Dramatic impact of climate change on winter sports and winter games. Listen in.#IOCSessionpic.twitter.com/fri192WsSY

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 13, 2023

The push to include cricket at the Olympic Games received support from Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, who said he was "1oo per cent" in favour of the sport, featuring at the Games.

"I think the Olympics stands for unity. The Olympics stands for bringing people together – not just cross-country and cross-continent, but also cross-sport. So, I am 100% in favour of cricket coming into the Olympics," Paes had said in September.

Legendary Indian fast bowler Jhulan Goswami had said that if cricket did get selected to feature at the Los Angeles Olympics, she hoped India was one of the participating teams.

"As cricketers, unfortunately, we were not able to participate earlier on the Olympic platform, but last year, the India (women’s) team participated in the Commonwealth Games, and the (quality of) contests was very high.

"Australia and India were the finalists. Unfortunately, India couldn’t win the gold medal, but I am really looking forward to LA 2028. Probably six teams will participate and I hope India is one of those six teams; I am really looking forward to that," Goswami had said.

Cricket has featured just once in the history of the Olympic Games in 1900 when Great Britain won the top prize.

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