LA 2028 Olympics: Six sports that will be included for first time

Cricket will be back at the LA 2028 Olympics.

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will offer a wide range of sports, some of which will make their first appearance at the esteemed event. These games, which highlight their original charm and growing popularity everywhere, strive to captivate global audiences with refreshing excitement.

These sports are injecting fresh vitality into the Games as the International Olympic Committee works to modernize and popularize the prestigious event, attracting a global audience.

6. Flag Football

A non-contact American football sport, flag football substitutes players pulling flags from their opponent’s belts for tackling. The guidelines are intended to speed up and make the game safer.

Teams try to score in flag football by reaching the opponent’s end zone; possession shifts following a designated number of passes. Depending on the style, the game can be played with seven or nine players on each team.

5. Baseball/Softball

After not being included since 2008, baseball and softball will return to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Often considered America’s pastime, baseball is a bat-and-ball game in which teams try to score runs by running around bases after striking a pitched ball. Though usually with a smaller diamond, softball is similar and played with a bigger ball.

World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) controls both sports. Baseball and softball were originally included in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but were removed from the Olympic programme until being reintroduced in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Given their global appeal, they will now return as part of the Los Angeles Games.

4. Lacrosse

Players of the fast-paced team sport lacrosse carry, pass, and shoot a small rubber ball into the opposing goal using a stick with a mesh net. Played in both men’s and women’s forms, the sport blends aspects of basketball, soccer, and hockey.

The sport is known for its fast pace and high-scoring approach. After being first included in the Olympic Games in 1904 and 1908, lacrosse was dropped from the agenda.

3. Compound Archery

Compound archery has always featured in events like the World Games, Asian Games, and World Archery Championships, but never at the Olympics. However, the sport is set to make its debut at LA 2028, raising India’s medal hopes significantly.

The sport requires precision and control, as archers shoot at a target 50 meters away, aiming for a 10-ring scoring zone. Unlike recurve archery (already in the Olympics), compound archery includes a magnifying sight and release aids.

Compound archery has emerged as India’s strong suit in recent years, with star archers like Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale leading India’s dominant performance at the 2023 Asian Games, where the country clinched all five gold medals in compound events. However, strong competition can be expected from nations like South Korea, the USA, and Colombia.

2. Squash

Played on a closed indoor court, squash is a racket sport for two players (singles) or four players (doubles). By hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall, it bounces in such a way that the opponent cannot bring it back.

Points are earned when one player improperly strikes the ball. Squash has never been included in the Olympic Games, although it was a demonstration sport at the Summer Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires 2018.

1. Cricket

Likely to be played in T20 format, cricket will make its Olympic return for the first time since 1900. In a win-win for both the Olympic federation and the International Cricket Council, the discipline will be popularized and introduced to the Western world most grandly.

More than a billion eyeballs from the Indian subcontinent will tune in to watch some of the best cricketing athletes showcase their skills.

While the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from the format, they could make themselves available to help the nation win an Olympic Gold in the world’s grandest sporting event. Only six teams will be able to fight for a podium finish.

With consistent countries like India, Australia, England, New Zealand, and South Africa nearly confirmed to compete, the sixth spot remains open for other nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

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