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DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed its intention to make an offer to include cricket in Los Angeles in 2028 Olympics.
The International Criminal Court has been calling for the inclusion of cricket for some time, and the offer is also backed by the world’s richest government, the BCCI, as Secretary Jay Shah recently made clear.
Fearing loss of independence and the absence of the Indian Olympic Organization (IOA), BCCI was not very enthusiastic about including cricket in the Summer Games in the past, but now Shah has assured India of participation in the world’s biggest sporting event if the ICC manages to secure its entry.
The ICC has also set up an Olympic working group that aims to make the game part of the Olympics from 2028 onwards.
“Our sport is united behind this offer, and we see the Olympics as part of the long-term future of cricket. We have over a billion fans worldwide and nearly 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics,” ICC President Greg Barclay said in a statement.
“Cricket clearly has a strong and passionate fan base, especially in South Asia, where 92% of our fans are from, while the United States also has 30 million cricket fans. The opportunity for fans to see their heroes compete for an Olympic medal is annoying.”
The game returns to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 1998, when women’s cricket will be introduced in the 2022 Birmingham edition.
Barclay also congratulated the organizers of the recently concluded Tokyo Games, which were held in the dark shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“First of all, on behalf of everyone in the ICC, I would like to congratulate the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese for organizing amazing games in such difficult circumstances.
“We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympics, but we know it’s not easy to secure our involvement because there are so many other sports out there that want to do the same.
“But we think now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics could be,” he said.
According to the Los Angeles Games website, the IOC will decide on the core program for 2028 Olympic sports in 2024.
“In 2024, the IOC will consider LA28’s proposal to include new Olympics in the 2028 Games. After Tokyo and Paris, Los Angeles is only the third organizing committee to propose new sports,” it said.
English and Welsh cricket board Ian Watmore is the chairman ICC Olympic Working Group and is accompanied by an independent director of the ICC Indra Nooyi.
The group also includes Tavengwa Mukuhlani, President of Zimbabwe Cricket, ICC Deputy Member and Vice-President. Asian Cricket Council Mahinda Vallipuram and Chairman US cricket Paraag Marathe, “who believes the time is ripe for an Olympic victory.”
“USA Cricket is excited to be able to support cricket’s offer to participate in the Olympics, the timing of which is perfectly in line with the fact that we will continue our plans to develop the sport in the United States,” Marathe said.
“Because there are so many passionate cricket fans and players in the United States and a huge global audience and watch sports around the world, we believe the inclusion of cricket will add value to the Los Angeles Olympics and help us achieve our vision of strengthening cricket as a mainstream sport in this country.”
The only time cricket was part of the Olympics was in 1900, when England won France in a two-day game.
The International Criminal Court has been calling for the inclusion of cricket for some time, and the offer is also backed by the world’s richest government, the BCCI, as Secretary Jay Shah recently made clear.
Fearing loss of independence and the absence of the Indian Olympic Organization (IOA), BCCI was not very enthusiastic about including cricket in the Summer Games in the past, but now Shah has assured India of participation in the world’s biggest sporting event if the ICC manages to secure its entry.
The ICC has also set up an Olympic working group that aims to make the game part of the Olympics from 2028 onwards.
“Our sport is united behind this offer, and we see the Olympics as part of the long-term future of cricket. We have over a billion fans worldwide and nearly 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics,” ICC President Greg Barclay said in a statement.
“Cricket clearly has a strong and passionate fan base, especially in South Asia, where 92% of our fans are from, while the United States also has 30 million cricket fans. The opportunity for fans to see their heroes compete for an Olympic medal is annoying.”
The game returns to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 1998, when women’s cricket will be introduced in the 2022 Birmingham edition.
Barclay also congratulated the organizers of the recently concluded Tokyo Games, which were held in the dark shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“First of all, on behalf of everyone in the ICC, I would like to congratulate the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese for organizing amazing games in such difficult circumstances.
“We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympics, but we know it’s not easy to secure our involvement because there are so many other sports out there that want to do the same.
“But we think now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics could be,” he said.
According to the Los Angeles Games website, the IOC will decide on the core program for 2028 Olympic sports in 2024.
“In 2024, the IOC will consider LA28’s proposal to include new Olympics in the 2028 Games. After Tokyo and Paris, Los Angeles is only the third organizing committee to propose new sports,” it said.
English and Welsh cricket board Ian Watmore is the chairman ICC Olympic Working Group and is accompanied by an independent director of the ICC Indra Nooyi.
The group also includes Tavengwa Mukuhlani, President of Zimbabwe Cricket, ICC Deputy Member and Vice-President. Asian Cricket Council Mahinda Vallipuram and Chairman US cricket Paraag Marathe, “who believes the time is ripe for an Olympic victory.”
“USA Cricket is excited to be able to support cricket’s offer to participate in the Olympics, the timing of which is perfectly in line with the fact that we will continue our plans to develop the sport in the United States,” Marathe said.
“Because there are so many passionate cricket fans and players in the United States and a huge global audience and watch sports around the world, we believe the inclusion of cricket will add value to the Los Angeles Olympics and help us achieve our vision of strengthening cricket as a mainstream sport in this country.”
The only time cricket was part of the Olympics was in 1900, when England won France in a two-day game.
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Sources 2/ https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/news/icc-to-push-for-crickets-inclusion-in-olympics-los-angeles-2028-primary-target/articleshow/85202570.cms The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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