Cricket, lacrosse to officially return to Olympics after century-long break

Cricket and lacrosse are Olympic sports again. Flag football gets in for the first time.

Five sports wereadded to the 2028 Los Angeles Games by the International Olympic Committee on Monday with baseball-softball and squash also confirmed for the program.

The slate of sports cleared a final hurdle from the Olympic body's full membership at a meeting in Mumbai, India, after being proposed by Los Angeles officials one week ago and recommended by the IOC executive board on Friday.

The decision to elevate cricket to Olympic status for the first time since 1900 was made in one of the hotspots of the sport where the IOC is meeting while India hosts the sport's World Cup.

"After a wait of more than a century, our beloved sport is back on the Olympic stage," former India captain Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "This marks the dawn of a new era for cricket as it will be a golden opportunity to foster inclusivity and showcase new talent from emerging cricketing nations. A start of something truly special."

Adding cricket to the Olympic program is expected to raise the value of India's broadcasting rights for the IOC by more than $100 million US. The Olympic tournaments for men and women should each have six teams playing the shortened and dynamic Twenty20 format.

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Thanks to the sport's growing popularity, the N.B. Cricket Association had 10 teams from across the province playing in the summer league. The greatest growth is in the greater Moncton area, where the sport helps build community for many newcomers.

"The innings has just begun and we can't wait to see where this incredible journey leads," International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay said.

In Australia, the governing body of the sport in the country praised the decision as a chance to expand further afield.

"This is a game-changer for our sport that is already among the fastest growing in the world," Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said. "The Olympic Games will undoubtedly increase the global reach of cricket, inspiring a whole new generation to love and play the game."

Flag football and baseball-softball could put NFL and MLB players on the Olympic stage in five years' time. Football in its full-contact form was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Olympics when Los Angeles first hosted the Summer Games.

"The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football's place in the Olympic movement long term," the league's commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

Lacrosse was hailed as the first game played on the American continent by its native people. The sport has been played twice at the Olympics, though not since 1908. In L.A., lacrosse will be played in a six-a-side format.

"A lot of excitement," Canadian player Wesley Berg said of Monday's long-awaited news. "In terms of trying to grow the sport of lacrosse, and how big of a stage the Olympics is, it's pretty cool to have the opportunity for people around the world and younger kids to be able to see the game played at the biggest stage."

Lacrosse was in the Olympics in 1904 and 1908. It was also held as a demonstration sport at the Games meaning it wasn't a standard medal competition in 1928, 1932 and 1948.

Canada men's coach Brodie Merrill called lacrosse's Olympic return a "gradual process."

"There's been rumblings over the last few years," he said. "It definitely felt different today when it was finalized. Kind of a surreal moment."

Both men's and women's lacrosse will be competed in sixes a fast-paced, compact version at the intersection of field and box lacrosse that was developed in 2018.

"It's almost too fast, there's no breaks where you don't really get a replay," Berg said. "But it's so exciting and the games go by so quickly and it's just constant action."

Squash will make its debut after several previous applications to get Olympic status failed.

There was no space for breakdance, which will not return after making its Olympic debut in Paris next year.

The importance of team sports in American culture and building stronger bonds to professional leagues and tours was stressed to IOC members before they voted. But two members from Africa, Tidjane Thiam of Ivory Coast and William Blick of Uganda, expressed concern about howthe sports added Monday are not played much on the continent.

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Political comments not unanimously welcome

Opening the Los Angeles presentation, Wasserman directly addressed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in language that pushed the limits of the IOC's preferred stance of political neutrality.

Noting that previous generations of his own family fled to the U.S. from Ukraine "due to the pogroms that eliminated most of the Jewish population," he said people there now "face an unfathomable path without us" during the war waged by Russia.

"There are no words than can fully capture the devastation and shock over the massacre in Israel on Oct. 7," Wasserman added. "I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel, but let me be clear I also stand with the innocent civilians in Gaza who did not choose this war."

He called on the Olympics to "show what is possible when we understand each other and our differences, and embrace those challenges of the times with respect and dignity. We look forward to welcoming, respecting and celebrating all athletes and people in the world when the games come to Los Angeles in 2028."

Wasserman was chided by the first IOC member to respond, Syed Shahid Ali of Pakistan, who said "the political content tended to overshadow the sports part" of the L.A. presentation.

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But Wasserman was supported by French IOC member Guy Drut, who competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed after Palestinian gunmen raided the athletes' village. Drut lamented the "loss of our brothers from Israel."

In a separate vote, IOC members confirmed that weightlifting and modern pentathlon will retain their Olympics places. Weightlifting had faced scrutiny because of doping issues, while modern pentathlon has replaced the horse jumping element with obstacle course racing.

Boxing has been assured of being on the program in Los Angeles but the sport is currently without a governing body recognized by the IOC.