It's official! Cricket gets IOC nod for LA 2028 Olympics

Fivesports, including cricketand flag football, willbe included atthe 2028 Los AngelesOlympics

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It’s official. Cricket made a return to the Olympic fold after a decadelong wait with the International Olympic Council (IOC) voting in favour of hosting T20 cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In addition to cricket, four other sports — baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse and squash — also got the nod of the global governing body on Monday after its 141st session held in Mumbai over the weekend.

As reported by The Statesman, cricket is set to be a six-team T20 event, with hosts USA getting a direct qualification, which means the remaining five spots will be up for grabs by the best teams during the qualification period. The qualification process will be announced at a later date, the IOC said.

Earlier, the local organising committee of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics had recommended the five sports as a package. On Monday, the IOC voted unanimously in favour of including all the five sports, with just two members voting against. “The proposal is approved,” IOC president Thomas Bach announced at the session in Mumbai.

Last week, addressing a conference, Bach described himself as a “fan” of T20 cricket while saying that the sport has great potential.