The Olympics is one of those multisport events that people from all parts of the world wait eagerly for four years and in about three weeks the event athletes take part in different sports and win medals. Nothing can be bigger and famous than the Olympics as all the popular sports you have heard about are part of this extravaganza being it Football, Basketball, Tennis, Hockey, and others. In the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Cricket, the second popular sport is also going to be a part of the 2028 Olympics.
It is the second time that cricket is going to be a part of the Olympic Games and before that, it was made part was back in 1900. Along with Cricket, four other sports will be included in the 2028 LA Olympics which are Flag Football (American Football), Lacrosse (Sixes), Squash, and Baseball/Softball. Let’s talk about these sports in detail so that you get to know what made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) include these sports in the next Olympics.
Cricket
Cricket’s popularity is not hidden from anybody and you may want to know if cricket is the second most popular sport on the planet after Football, and why it is not a part of the Olympics for a long time. The answer is that Olympic Games are played in a particular city and you can expect one or two stadiums of international standards. So conducting more than a single match in a single stadium is not possible. You can’t expect the whole tournament to be completed within three weeks, which is the duration of the Olympics.
However, with the introduction of the T20 format, it is possible to conduct at least three cricket games in a day in a single stadium at different times. It is because T20 cricket games are comparatively shorter than One Day international matches where each team is allotted 50 overs while in T20, each team is allotted a maximum of 20 overs. Cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the 2028 Olympics to happen as they want to see their favorite teams make the podium finish.
The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics is good news for betting portals as they can expect more people to place bets on cricket matches during the extravaganza. A recent study revealed that over 80 percent of Indians gamble yearly, also they like to place online sports bets on cricket. This information clearly indicates that people will love to place cricket bets during the 2028 Olympics.
Flag Football/American Football
Flag football is one of those sports that are going to be part of the 2028 Olympic Games. Maybe you are not familiar with this sport. Don’t worry as we will explain how this sport is played so that you will love watching Flag Football matches. It is a variant of gridiron football where the defensive team removes a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier from the opposite team to end a down. The term used for this process is called deflagging.
In this sport, no contact is allowed between players and when we say contact, it includes any type of contact such as tackling, blocking, fumbling, screening and diving are not allowed at all. Flag football is highly popular in the Americas, leading to numerous international competitions over the years. The sponsors are running after getting sponsorship for Flag Football tournaments. The fans of Flag Football are waiting to watch their favorite sport to be played in the Olympics.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is another sport that is going to be a part of the Olympic Games from the 2028 LA Olympics. It is a contact team sport that is also quite popular in North America like Flag Football. Players use a Lacrosse stick and a Lacrosse ball to play this sport. To score goals, players use the head of the Lacrosse stick to carry, pass, catch and shoot the ball into the opposite team’s goal post.
It was played in the Olympic Games two times in 1904 and 1908 before being announced to be played in the 2028 LA Olympic Games. The game is governed by the World Lacrosse, the international governing body of Lacrosse. Its inclusion in the Olympics will just make this sport more popular.
Squash
Squash is an international sport that is already played in the Commonwealth Games and now this sport is going to make its debut in the 2028 Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. When we talk about the rules, squash is a racket-and-ball sport that can be played by two (singles) or four players (doubles) on a four-walled court with a small, hollow, rubber ball.
The players alternate in striking the ball onto the playable surfaces of the four walls of the court. To win a point, you need to hit the ball onto the playable surface in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. This sport is played in over 185 countries so you understand how popular this sport is. The World Squash Federation (WSF) is the governing body of this sport.
Baseball
Baseball is another American sport that is going to be a part of the 2028 Olympic Games apart from Lacrosse and Flag Football. Also, it is one of the few bat-and-ball sports to be included in the 2028 Olympics. The three accessories you need to play this sport are the ball, the bat and the glove or mitt. This sport has been in existence since the early 18th century and each team has nine participating players each of which takes batting and fielding.
Until now Baseball is more common in North America; however, now with the announcement of its introduction in the Olympics, the popularity of this sport will reach new levels.
This is all about the sports that are going to be part of the multi-sport extravaganza called the Olympics. We have discussed these sports in detail, kindly read it; we hope that you will like reading it. Share your feedback in the comments.