Organizers of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28) have officially included cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash, and baseball/softball in the sports program, they announced on Monday.
“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world while bringing international sports to the United States,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said in a statement.
“These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” he added. “Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”
Cricket, baseball/softball, and lacrosse have been played at past Olympic Games, while squash and flag football will make their Olympic debut in Los Angeles, California.
The slate of sports cleared a final hurdle from the Olympic body’s full membership at a meeting in Mumbai, India, after being proposed by Los Angeles officials a week ago before being recommended by the IOC executive board on Oct. 13. All five sports were voted in as a single package with two “no” votes from about 90 IOC members in the room.
IOC Session approves @LA28’s proposal for 5⃣ additional sports:
⚾Baseball/?softball, ?cricket, ?flag football, ?lacrosse and ⚫squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. #LA28 pic.twitter.com/y7CLk2UEYx
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) October 16, 2023
Casey Wasserman, chairman of the 2028 Olympic Games, hailed the board’s approval in Monday’s statement, saying organizers are “excited to embark on game-changing collaborations” with professional sports leagues that will unlock “massive opportunities” to amplify both the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ story.
“I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world. Our Olympic sport programme, in its entirety, reflects this belief,” he said.
Flag football and baseball/softball could put the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball players on the Olympic stage in five years’ time.
“The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football’s place in the Olympic movement long term,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
“It’s a tremendous honor for any athlete to represent their country at the Olympics,” he added. “We have no doubt that this decision will inspire millions of young people around the world to play this game in the years ahead.”
Cricket Returns to Olympics After Over a Century
While baseball/softball was featured at several editions of past Olympic Games—most recently at the 2020 Tokyo Games—lacrosse and cricket will return to the international multi-sport event for the first time in over a century.
Cricket, a bat-and-ball game popular in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South Asia, made its last and only appearance at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, while lacrosse has been played twice at the Olympics, though not since 1908.
Adding cricket to the Olympic program is expected to raise the value of India’s broadcasting rights for the IOC by more than $100 million. The Olympic tournaments for men and women should each have six teams playing the shortened and dynamic Twenty20 (T20) format.
Sachin Tendulkar, a former cricketer who captained the Indian national team, praised the IOC’s move in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“After a wait of more than a century, our beloved sport is back on the Olympic stage,” Mr. Tendulkar wrote. “This marks the dawn of a new era for cricket as it will be a golden opportunity to foster inclusivity and showcase new talent from emerging cricketing nations. A start of something truly special!”
Lacrosse, which is known as one of the oldest sports in North America with Native American roots, was included in the Olympic program at the St. Louis Games in 1904 and the London Games in 1908 and later featured as a demonstration sport in 1928, 1932, and 1948.
Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body in the United States, said in an Oct. 16 statement that he was “thrilled” by the IOC’s decision.
“In some ways, it feels like we’ve reached the finish line with so many people working towards this goal for so many years,” Mr. Riccio said. “In reality, this is the beginning of a bright new future. The Olympics gives our sport the platform and visibility to achieve unprecedented growth. We can’t wait to get started on the next chapter in the sport’s history.”
Overall, the most dominant country in international lacrosse is the United States, with 34 world championships dating back to 1967, according to USA Lacrosse.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.