Cricket will have to wait for its major Olympic moment with a decision on inclusion for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles delayed until October.
Citing “ongoing discussions”, the International Olympic Committee confirmed the decision on which sports would be included in five years would not take place on Friday as first hoped.
Instead, cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics for the first time since its one and only appearance in 1900 could be made in Mumbai.
“One of the agenda items originally planned for the IOC EB was a report by the IOC Olympic Program Commission on the sports program for the Olympic Games LA28,” an IOC statement said.
“Due to ongoing discussions between the IOC and the organising committee, the Olympic Program Commission has not yet had the opportunity to hold its meeting to prepare its final recommendation for the IOC EB.
“As a consequence, the sports program for the Olympic Games LA28 will be discussed during a later IOC EB meeting, to take place at a date to be decided.”
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The expectation remains that cricket will be included in the LA 2028 Olympic program, but a report on website Inside The Games suggested the call was being impacted by “disagreements with the organising committee”.
The large number of athletes involved could prove a hurdle to inclusion, with the Olympic organising committees in the past showing preferences towards individual sports.
Allowing up to 16 cricket teams could mean more than 250 players and support staff.
Cricket has been fighting for many years to be admitted to the Olympics and IOC boss Thomas Bach has gone on record may times declaring he would like to see the T20 format included in a bid to embrace the billions of subcontinental fans who don’t have much to cheer for every four years when the Games are on.
Cricket is one of nine sports in the running for inclusion in Los Angeles, and a decision is now expected when the IOC meets in Mumbai on October 15-17.
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