Lausanne (Switzerland), Apr 11 (UNI) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed the athlete quota for cricket’s return at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Cricket will have six teams compete in the T20 format in both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, following the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board.
Each gender has been allocated 90 athlete quotas, allowing participating nations to field squads of 15 players.
The venues for cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics are yet to be confirmed, with the full schedule set to be finalised closer to the Games.
Los Angeles 2028 will mark cricket’s long-awaited return to the Olympic stage after 128 years. The sport last featured at the 1900 Paris Games, where a one-off match between Great Britain and France was played.
Cricket will join five additional sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics – baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash.
The IOC has yet to reveal how teams will qualify for LA 2028, but it is understood organisers are
keen to utilise cricket as a way to increase India's interest in the Olympics.
India are the current T20 World Cup holders, were a draw for fans at the 2024 World Cup which
the United States co-hosted and represent a commercial opportunity for the IOC with sponsors.
Before she was elected, IOC president Kirsty Coventry met with International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah in Dubai at the recent Champions Trophy where LA 2028 was discussed.
Cricket’s inclusion in multi-sport events in recent years has reflected the sport’s growing global appeal. Both men’s and women’s T20 competitions have featured at the Asian Games in 2010,
2014 and most recently in 2023.
The women’s T20 tournament at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games featured eight
teams, while 14 men’s and nine women’s teams took part in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
UNI BM