The New Zealand Olympic Committee is welcoming the inclusion of five new sports for the LA 2028 Olympic Games
Cricket, squash, lacrosse, flag football and baseball/softball have been added to the 2028 Olympic sports programme after being officially voted in overnight NZT at an IOC Session in Mumbai, India.
Beach sprint rowing, a format of the coastal rowing discipline, has also been included on the Games programme for the first time, replacing the lightweight double sculls (men 2x and women 2x) events.
Cricket and squash in particular hold special significance in New Zealand, with the national teams and athletes having established impressive histories on the world stage.
New Zealand also has a passionate softball and baseball community, as well as growing coastal rowing, lacrosse and flag football federations.
NZOC President Liz Dawson, who delivered the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as Chair of the Local Organising Committee, says it’s an exciting move for athletes and sports fans.
“The addition of these five sports is great news for New Zealand, and particularly for our dedicated squash and cricket communities,” said Dawson.
“We have a proud history in squash and cricket and would love to see a New Zealand squash athlete or cricket team on the Olympic podium in the future.
“We also know we have real pedigree in softball and baseball, and we look forward to working with our lacrosse, coastal rowing and flag football communities as they enter the Olympic family.”
NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol says the addition of the five sports will see the Olympic Games reach more people than ever before.
“We saw the success of surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding which debuted at the Tokyo Games and engaged new audiences in the Olympic Games,” said Nicol.
“As well as being a positive for fans the addition of these five sports is also really beneficial for athletes. Being on the Olympic programme opens up more funding opportunities for athletes and teams, and provides the sports with really widespread exposure, helping to grow participation from grassroots up,” said Nicol.
The LA 2028 cricket programme will consist of men’s and women’s T20 cricket, while squash will be made up of men’s and women’s singles.
This selection of the sports is the result of a thorough process and analysis based on evaluation criteria set out before the process began, including gender equality. It considered the utilisation of existing facilities, involving a wide range of sports communities both in the United States and globally, and incorporating some of the most popular sports in the United States and across the globe.
The programme of events and athlete quotas will be finalised after Paris 2024.
The LA 2028 Olympic Games will run from July 14th – 30th.
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