The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that five sports have been added to the schedule for the Summer Games in Los Angeles. These games are cricket, lacrosse and baseball-softball, flag football and squash.
The Committee’s president Thomas Bach said, “The selection of the five additional sports is “in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique.”
Cricket — a sport widely popular in India, a country of 1.4 billion — is being played in the Olympics for the first time since 1900. The version being played in 2028 is called T20, a shorter, three-hour variation.
“This marks the dawn of a new era for cricket as it will be a golden opportunity to foster inclusiveness and showcase new talent from emerging cricketing nations, noted retired cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, who is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest players.
Lacrosse will also make an appearance after a long gap. The version being played in LA is called sixes, a fast-paced version of lacrosse developed in 2018. The IOC noted the Indigenous North American roots of the sport.
Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, joins the list after a campaign by the NFL for its addition. More children in the U.S. between ages 6 and 12 play flag football than tackle football, according to the IOC.
Played by 20 million players in 180 countries, according to its supporters, squash is being played for the first time at the 2028 Olympics.
Baseball and softball are not new to the Olympics, but they are not slated to be part of the upcoming Paris Games in 2024.
