Cricket among the 5 Sports included in LA Olympics 2028, Checkout how Virat Kohli played a part in it
After achieving grand success in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, cricket will be making its grand return to the Olympics as the sport, along with five more will be played at the Los Angeles Olympics of 2028, as officially approved by the International Olympics Committee on Monday. Cricket’s addition, which includes both men’s and women’s T20s, will mark the sport’s first appearance since 1900. Let’s find out more about this Cricket news in today’s post.
IOC approves inclusion of Cricket, Squash, and 3 other sports for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
The International Olympic Committee on Monday approved that cricket and squash will be included in the 2028 edition of the Olympic Games due to be held in Los Angeles.
Baseball/ Softball, Lacrosse, and Flag Football were also included in the 2028 roster after ratification by the IOC.
The vote was not unanimous with two members voting against it, but the proposal has been approved.
The inclusion of boxing in the Los Angeles Olympics is put on hold.
As Niccolo Campriani, president of the LA Local Organising Committee (LALOG) spoke at length about the growing popularity of cricket in the United States. It’s no rocket science that next year’s T20 World Cup – which will be played across the USA and the West Indies – and the breakout inaugural season of the Major League Cricket served as a catalyst for this monumental decision. But beyond the fact that cricket beginning to find its feet in the US market in terms of public consumption, the Virat Kohli factor too played its role.
Kohli is a global ambassador of the sport. In May, he became the first Indian to hit 250 million followers on Instagram. Worldwide, he is only behind football icons Cristiano Ronaldo (585 million and counting) and Lionel Messi (464 million) in terms of followers on Instagram. Kohli’s reach and superstardom is spread across the world with Campriani acknowledging the same.
“We all recognize the critical importance of a strong digital presence in order to keep the games relevant for the youth. And cricket is offering a unique platform to do so. Think [about] my friend here Virat. He’s the third-most followed athlete in the world on social media with 314 million followers. That’s more than LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Tiger Woods combined. This is the ultimate win-win for LA 28,” Campriani said.
“The IOC and the cricket community as cricket will be showcased on a global stage to grow beyond the traditional cricket countries, while the Olympic movement gains access to previously untapped communities of athletes and fans. It’s a great example of how one can reach the other.”
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