Cricket, lacrosse to officially return to Olympics after century-long break
CBC
Cricket and lacrosse are Olympic sports again. Flag football gets in for the first time.
Five sports were added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games by the International Olympic Committee on Monday with baseball-softball and squash also confirmed for the program.
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 one week ago and recommended by the IOC executive board on Friday.
The decision to elevate cricket to Olympic status for the first time since 1900 was made in one of the hotpots of the sport where the IOC is meeting while India hosts the sport's World Cup.
"After a wait of more than a century, our beloved sport is back on the Olympic stage," former India captain Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "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."
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 US. The Olympic tournaments for men and women should each have six teams playing the shortened and dynamic Twenty20 format.
"The innings has just begun and we can't wait to see where this incredible journey leads," International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay said.
In Australia, the governing body of the sport in the country praised the decision as a chance to expand further afield.
"This is a game-changer for our sport that is already among the fastest growing in the world," Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said. "The Olympic Games will undoubtedly increase the global reach of cricket, inspiring a whole new generation to love and play the game."
Flag football and baseball-softball could put NFL and MLB players on the Olympic stage in five years' time. Football in its full-contact form was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Olympics when Los Angeles first hosted the Summer Games.
"The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football's place in the Olympic movement long term," the league's commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
Lacrosse was hailed as the first game played on the American continent by its native people. The sport has been played twice at the Olympics, though not since 1908. In L.A., lacrosse will be played in a six-a-side format.
Squash will make its debut after several previous applications to get Olympic status failed.
There was no space for breakdance, which will not return after making its Olympic debut in Paris next year.
