Cricket being the religion for billions of people is conspicuously absent from the grandest sporting stage, the Olympics. Despite its immense popularity, this sport has failed to be part of the Paris Olympics 2024 or in general Olympics. Since its beginning, back centuries ago, this game has evolved into a complex and nuanced sport that has captivated millions of fans and hearts of people.
While it has been very successful in many countries, its Olympic journey has been full of disappointments. The 2024 Olympics once again showed the sport’s exclusion from the event. And today in this article we will look into why Cricket is not in the Olympics 2024? This essay explores the historical context of cricket’s Olympic bid and when cricket will join the Olympics sports chart.
Historical context of cricket’s Olympic:
Cricket has been introduced to the Olympics only once back in the year 1900 at paris Olympics only. Back then two teams competed in the two day test match format. Playing the event at the Olympics for the first time Great Britain and France battled to win medals at the test format event. Here in this inaugural match the gold medal was won by Great Britain, with players from the Devon and Somerset Wanderers Club. The French team was made up of staff from the British embassy in Paris.
After this, despite its gaining popularity among different nations and its recognition as a successful sport, cricket has gained mass attention worldwide but when it’s about olympics this sport has always been put back forth and has not featured in the Olympic programme.
Why is Cricket not in the Olympics 2024?
The Paris olympics 2024 is a buzzing event of the town and has featured multi sporting events but failed to make entry for the cricket in it. That left cricket fans around the world disappointed by its absence. While inclusion would have been a significant step towards globalizing the sport, particularly with India’s strong medal contenders, the wait continues.
But cricket inclusion in the mega event is in process and it has started its presence in the many other notable key events. Cricket has become a bigger deal in sports events lately. It was in the Asian Games in 2010, 2014, and 2023. India played in the Asian Games for the first time in 2023 and won gold medals for both the men and women.
Cricket also came back to the Commonwealth Games in 2022 after not being there for 24 years. The Indian women’s team got a silver medal.
Cricket inclusion will bring more laurels to Indian land and will see active participation from the fans as well. The 2028 Los Angeles Games, therefore, will mark a historic comeback for the sport after a 128-year hiatus.
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Is Cricket Going to Be in the 2028 Olympics?
After a long wait of years, decades, cricket is finally making its way to the Olympics. And the cricket fans are buzzing with excitement following the reports of inclusion of this Bat and Ball sport in the events of the Olympics.
The decision of the inclusion of cricket in olympics came last year in the Olympic programme at the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai, India. The IOC apex body for the Olympics paved the way for the inclusion and made a way for cricket to return to the mega sports festival-olympics.
However the cricket won’t be the part of the paris Olympics 2024 and will join the olympics in the 2028 which will be hosted in Los Angeles. So cricket fans have to wait for another four years to see their favorite sports in Los Angeles 2028.
Cricket at LA 2028 will feature both men’s and women’s T20 competitions. This format was used at last year’s Asian Games when cricket returned after missing the 2018 event. It was also used at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where cricket made a comeback after 24 years.
