Cricket set to return to Olympics after 128 years
Men’s and women’s T20 competition will be played in the 2028 edition, opening up a lucrative Asian sub-continent market for the IOC.
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LONDON: Cricket is set to be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games alongside flag football, baseball and softball.
According to latest reports, cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics will be confirmed at the 141st International Olympic Committee session that gets underway in Mumbai on October 15.
Cricket has been played in the Olympics only once before, in Paris in 1900, when England and France battled for the gold medal. Men’s and women’s T20 competition will be played in the 2028 edition, opening up a lucrative Asian sub-continent market for the IOC.
Cricket’s entry into the Olympics will also go a long way in widening the reach of the sport. India is the game’s biggest market and value of the IOC broadcast deal in the country can go up substantially following its inclusion in the 2028 edition.
From the reported 15.6 million pounds for the 2024 Olympics, the broadcast deal in India could fetch as much as 150 million pounds if the game is featured in 2028 edition, reports suggested.
Women’s cricket made its debut in Commonwealth Games last year while men’s and women’s competitions were played in the recent Asian Games in China where India swept the competition.
