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In cricket, Olympic officials could add one sport and 1.4 billion fans

By Les Carpenter

22 Aug 2023 · 6 min read

informed Summary

  1. The International Olympic Committee is considering including cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics due to the sport's popularity in India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion and a rapidly growing economy. The IOC is keen to tap into India's wealth and sees the country as the next frontier for the Olympics.

The world's most populous country really cares about only one sport, but India's 1.4 billion people and soaring economy are enough to attract the attention of the International Olympic Committee - so much so that cricket could find its way onto the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

With its complicated rules and days-long matches that sometimes end in ties, cricket never fit the Games, which partially explains why India has had little Olympic relevance beyond 35 medals, 10 of them gold. But a condensed, three-hour form of the game called Twenty20 or T20 has boomed in India, making the 15-year-old Indian Premier League the world's most lucrative sports leagues, and has caught the eye of IOC officials who yearn to be a part of the country's growing wealth.

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