KUALA LUMPUR – The International Olympic Council (IOC) announced yesterday that squash will be included in the 2028 Olympic Games.
In a statement, the IOC stated that squash will make its Olympic debut in the Los Angeles Games after receiving a proposal from the LA 28 organising committee.
The decision was reviewed by the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) before being presented to the IOC executive board.
In addition to squash, flag football will also make its debut in the Olympics, while baseball/softball, cricket (T20), and lacrosse (sixes) are set to return to the Olympic Games in LA.
Cricket, which has over 2.5 billion fans worldwide, has only appeared in the Olympics once, at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris.
“The choice of these five new sports is in line with American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world while bringing international sports to the United States,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
“Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”
The selection of these sports followed a meticulous evaluation process that considered various criteria, including gender equality, the use of existing facilities, involvement of sports communities in the United States and worldwide, and the popularity of sports in the United States and globally.
Baseball and softball have previously been featured in several Olympic Games editions, with their most recent appearance at Tokyo 2020.
These sports are representative of American culture and have a strong global presence, with representation from four continents in the top 10 world rankings.
On the other hand, squash is already part of eight other multi-sport events and has a strong presence on the global stage, with representation from four continents in the top 10 world rankings. — October 14, 2023