Cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash and baseball/softball. These are the five new sports that will be included in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
– The inclusion of these sports will make the Olympic movement engage new athletes and new audiences, both in the United States and around the world, says IOC President Thomas Bach, according to the Reuters news agency.
The five new sports were approved today by the IOC’s board. In a statement, chairman Thomas Bach says that the sports are in line with American sports culture. Three of the sports have been Olympic disciplines before, but squash and flag football are making their debut.
– These branches are relevant, innovative and create community. They are played in backyards, schoolyards, gathering places, stadiums and parks across the United States and around the world, said Casey Wasserman, chairman of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee at International Olympic Committee IOC website.
Flag football was born out of American football and the ideas are equivalent. A match is played between two teams with five players each on the field. The players wear two removable flags on their hips and to “tackle” a player, the flag must be pulled from the belt.
Big in India
Cricket was on the Olympic program in 1900, but has since been left out of the games. The sport has a fast-growing audience globally and is big in India, which is considering a bid for future Olympics, according to Reuters.
– We see the growing popularity of cricket, especially the T20 format. We are ready to welcome the world’s best cricketers to perform in the USA in 2028, says IOC President Thomas Bach.
Baseball and softball, the female equivalent, are veterans in the Olympic context. After a twelve-year hiatus, baseball returned to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but will not feature in Paris next summer. The racket sport of squash makes its Olympic debut.