Topline
The International Olympic Committee’s executive board approved Flag Football and squash for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles on Friday, marking the debut for these sports at the Olympic Games, while approving the return of some of the most popular sports in the world.
Key Facts
The IOC also approved cricket, baseball, softball and lacrosse for the 2028 games.
Cricket, the world’s second most popular sport, has been featured in the Olympics once before—in the 1900 Paris games—while baseball and softball were played in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2020 (baseball, but not softball was also played in 1992) and lacrosse was played in 1904 and 1908.
These sports have been approved just for the 2028 games at the request of hosts and organizers in Los Angeles.
The full IOC membership is expected to ratify the approval on Monday.
Key Background
Los Angeles was selected to be the host city for the 2028 Olympic Games by the IOC in 2017 at the same time the committee chose Paris to be the host city for the 2024 games. At every Olympics, the IOC allows the host city to select a few sports unique to its own sports culture.
Tangent
Flag football is a variation of American football, the most popular sport in the U.S., and the NFL was involved in the sport’s bid. Additionally, the U.S. is set to co-host the 2024 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup alongside the West Indies, and in July, Major League Cricket, a startup attempting to bring the hugely popular sport to the U.S., completed its inaugural championship in Texas. Baseball (which, along with softball, was invented in the U.S.) has been showcased prominently in the World Baseball Classic, an international event that, with 1.3 million attendees, saw its highest ever attendance in March during the 2023 iteration of the event.
Surprising Fact
The move to add cricket comes amid growing desire to tap into the Indian market, where cricket is the most popular sport. Broadcast rights to the Olympics in India are reportedly worth $20 million for 2024 in Paris, but the Guardian reports, citing unnamed experts, that figure could be as high as around $180 million in 2028 now that cricket will be played.
Further Reading
NBC Livestreaming Every Event From 2024 Paris Olympics On Peacock (Forbes)
Russians And Belarusians Can Participate At 2024 Paralympics As Neutral Athletes (Forbes)
Nike Signs 5-Year Deal With USA Gymnastics As Simone Biles Returns Ahead Of 2024 Olympics (Forbes)
2024 Olympics: Russia And Belarus Won’t Be Invited To Participate — But Athletes Can Still Compete (Forbes)
Billionaire Ambani’s New York Cricket Team Wins First Ever U.S. Major League Cricket Championship (Forbes)
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