A collage of sports being added to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Image courtesy of LA28
America’s Pastime, which has since spread across the globe, is returning to the world stage.
The sport of baseball, along with cricket, lacrosse, softball, flag football, and squash, will be coming to the Olympics. The decision was organized by the committee in charge of planning and organizing the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The group has lobbied for decades to add some of these games, including lacrosse, which was last played in the Olympics in 1908.
The proposals were discussed between the L.A. committee and the IOC’s Olympic program commission, and were formally confirmed. The new additions are expected to be ratified at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India, on October 16.
Baseball was included in the 2020 Olympics (played in 2021), in which Japan beat the United States in the finals. However, it was removed from the docket afterward and will not appear at the Paris 2024 games next year. But after an eight-year hiatus, it will be back in 2028.
Other Additions
A distant cousin of baseball is cricket, which has also been confirmed. This comes as the IOC is attempting to tap into the huge Indian market, where cricket is extremely popular. The broadcasting rights for the Olympics in India are currently worth around $20 million. But now that cricket has been added, that figure is expected to rise to $185 million. Cricket has not been played in the Olympics since the 19th century, specifically 1900.
“We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics,” International Cricket Council chair Greg Barclay said. “While this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century.”
Flag football has also been confirmed, which the NFL has been pushing for for several years. It will make its debut in the Olympics, having never been played on the big stage before. The sport is expected to put American football on the global stage and grow its popularity even further.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, California, from July 14-30, 2028.
