Los Angeles [US], July 15 (ANI): The cricket tournament at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 will begin on July 12, with medal matches slated for July 20 and 29, marking the sport’s much-anticipated return to the Olympic stage after more than a century, ESPNCricinfo reported Tuesday.
The matches will be played at a temporary, purpose-built Fairgrounds Stadium in Pomona, approximately 50 kilometres from downtown Los Angeles. The stadium is located within the Fairplex, a nearly 500-acre complex known for hosting the LA County Fair since 1922, along with numerous concerts, trade shows, sports, and cultural events.
The Olympic cricket competition will feature six teams each in men’s and women’s categories, with a total of 180 players competing in the T20 format. Each team will be allowed to name a 15-member squad. The format will see most matches staged as double-headers, with scheduled rest days on July 14 and July 21. Matches will begin at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM local time, including the medal rounds.
This will be cricket’s second-ever appearance at the Olympics after its debut in Paris 1900, when only two teams — Great Britain and France — contested a two-day match, which Britain won. Cricket’s return underscores its growing global popularity, particularly following its successful inclusion in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham (for women’s cricket) and its recurring presence in the Asian Games since 2010.
The sport’s profile in the US has also grown in recent years, with the country co-hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 alongside the West Indies. That event featured matches in Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York, including the much-watched India vs Pakistan clash at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
Welcoming the announcement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, “When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighbourhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy.”
She noted that LA’s PlayLA youth sports program has already registered over one million enrollments thanks to the LA28 and International Olympic Committee’s support. “I want to thank LA28 and the IOC for making these programs possible and for their continued work to host the greatest Games yet,” she added.
Cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Games is widely viewed as a boost for the sport’s global reach and an opportunity to introduce it to new audiences in North America and beyond.
(ANI)
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