FIVE news sports confirmed at LA Olympics 2028

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to include baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash in the LA Olympics 2028.

Also Read: Cricket at Olympics 2028: Everything you MUST know

As the curtain fell on a memorable Paris Olympics 2024, the focus shifted to the next Games in 2028. LA Olympics 2028 will be the fifth Summer Olympics and ninth Games overall to be hosted by the US. While the next Games are four years away, the excitement is already building. Apart from the glamour of LA, what is also of interest is the disciplines that have been included in the 2028 Olympics programme.

Cricket's popularity will increase further

Cricket will now also be seen on the world's biggest platform like Olympics. Before this, cricket was last played in the Olympics in 1900. Cricket is the most popular sport in the world after football. After joining the Olympics, the popularity of this game will increase further. Also, many other countries of the world will participate in this game.

Last year, cricket was included in the list of disciplines for the 2028 Games. Earlier this year, international cricket formally entered the American market through the T20 World Cup with matches held in Texas, Florida and New York.

Lacrosse return to Olympics after more than a century

Lacrosse return to the Olympics after more than a century, along with baseball/softball. Flag football is non-contact version of the hugely popular American gridiron football and will make its Games debut, while squash has grown in popularity across the world and has been added to the schedule.

Over the past few decades, demand has grown for the sport to be reintroduced. Time constraints had kept the sport away, until the advent of T20 cricket, which allows a game to be completed within three-and-a-half hours and several matches to be held in a single day.

Breaking has been excluded from the LA Olympics 2028

Breaking, or breakdancing as it is more commonly known, made its debut at the Paris Olympics. However, it has not been included in the LA programme and chances are the sport will not be seen on the global stage anytime soon.

Also, it is unclear whether boxing will feature at the LA Olympics. The IOC organised the event in Paris after it stripped the International Boxing Association of its status as the sport's world body over governance and financial management issues. Rival body World Boxing said national boxing federations needed to join its ranks to ensure the sport is included in the LA line up.

Also Read: India at Olympics: India's medals at the Olympics by sports

Local organising body has the right to review Olympic programme

The Olympic Charter has a provision whereby the local organising body of an Olympic Games has the right to review the Olympic programme for each edition of the Games in order to introduce innovation and sustainability.

Accordingly, the LA Olympics 2028 organising committee proposed the inclusion of the five disciplines. Thereafter, the IOC's Olympic programme commission issued recommendations to the IOC executive board. In October last year, the executive board approved the five sports to be included for the LA Games.