Later this month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will make a presentation to the Los Angeles Olympics organizers. The group wants cricket to return to the Olympics after a 128-year absence.
Cricket is already on a shortlist of potential sports for the 2028 LA Games. Other potential sports on the shortlist are softball, flag football, lacrosse, breakdancing, karate, kickboxing, squash, and motorsport.
The host city can include any sport it wants, but approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is required.
If cricket is in the 2028 Olympics, teams will play Twenty20 cricket. It’s a version of cricket that is shorter than traditional games and is also played in the Indian Premier League.
The IOC will probably make the final decision next year.
The last time cricket was played in the Olympics was the 1900 games in Paris.
Cricket is not so popular in the United States, so many people believe that the game will first return for the 2032 Olympics in Australia.
However, the ICC is determined to grow cricket in the US. There is already a sizable TV market (3rd largest in the world) because of the large number of people with Indian and Pakistani backgrounds. Therefore, the ICC thinks that the 2028 Olympics is the perfect place to promote the game in the US.
VOCABULARY
- Presentation – an event or meeting where someone explains a new idea or news; exhibition
- Absence – not there; not participating; not present
- Shortlist – a list of selected or chosen options; a list of options smaller than the original list
- Potential – possible; maybe; likely; could become
- Approval – the action of approving; acceptance; to give the OK; agreement
- Traditional – usual; normal; established
- Determined – committed; really want to; won’t give up
- Sizable – large, big
Original story from Reuters below:
