The ICC is thrilled at the confirmation that cricket will be part of sports programme of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 (LA28). Cricket’s inclusion was formally ratified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, following LA28’s recommendation last week.
The addition of cricket in the Olympics, for the first time since 1900, At those Games, England defeated France in a two innings match at the Velodrome de Vincennes by 158 runs, concludes a two-year process, in which the ICC worked extensively to develop an exciting proposal that supports the Olympic values and LA28’s mission to create an unparalleled experience for athletes, fans, partners and the local community.
The Olympic Games is estimated to have an audience of more than 3 billion viewers across TV and digital platforms, representing a unique opportunity for cricket to engage new audiences and further boost the sport’s reach across the world, opening the door to a new generation of cricket enthusiasts.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Kishore Shallow has hailed the return of cricket to the Olympic programme as a “monumental step,” for the region after the International Cricket Council (ICC) bid for inclusion was successful.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed to the return of the sport at their Session in Mumbai last week.
“I share my ICC colleagues’ enthusiasm about this progress and commend all stakeholders for advancing this ambition,” Shallow said.
“The recommendation is a monumental step that could see more significant opportunities for cricket and the Caribbean community.
The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) had strongly advocated cricket’s inclusion.
“The sport of cricket is intricately interwoven into the historical and socio-cultural fabric of what is now popularly known globally as ‘Caribbean Culture,'” CANOC’s President Keith Joseph said.
“Many renowned scholars and sports journalists worldwide have attested that the Caribbean people’s approach to cricket led to the establishment of a regionally unified West Indies cricket team, this team has been and is referred to as the embodiment of our collective aspirations, hopes and dreams, being one of the finest examples of regional integration, collaboration and cohesiveness demonstrated through sport in any part of the world.”
Although Caribbean nations compete in ICC competitions under the banner of the West Indies, they take part as individual islands in Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
“I am quite sure that the West Indies Board, along with the ICC, will have some form of qualification tournament to determine who will represent the West Indies region, or the Caribbean region in T20 cricket,” CANOC secretary general Brian Lewis said.
West Indies won the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in both 2012 and 2016 and also lifted the women’s trophy in 2016 when the tournament was run concurrently with the men’s.
West Indies are also set to co-host the men’s T20I competition in 2024 with the United States.
T20 has been nominated as the preferred format to be contested at the Olympics.
Baseball-softball and lacrosse are also restored to the programme, which also includes flag football and squash, who will both be making their Olympic debuts.