After a long hiatus of 128 years, cricket is set to feature in the Olympics at LA 2028. The organising committee has announced that the sport will be played at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.
Cricket At LA 2028
Pomona is a city in Southern California about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles. The matches will be staged in a temporary, purpose-built structure to be constructed on the site for the Games and then disassembled after the event has finished.
The Fairgrounds, officially known as Fairplex, has hosted the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922. A near-500-acre event complex, the venue has been hosting concerts, trade shows, sports and cultural events over the years.
“We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen,” said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover.
“Los Angeles is the epicenter of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience.”
A number of potential venues for cricket were said to be explored during the planning stage including in cities such as New York, the Oakland Coliseum, which will host games in Major League Cricket – the country’s T20 franchise league – later this year.
However, organisers wanted to go for a venue within Los Angeles County considering financial and logistical criteria.
“The 2028 Olympic venue plan invites communities from across the region to celebrate the Games coming to their backyard with the most exciting sports staged at some of the world’s top-tier existing stadiums and arenas, famous beaches and purpose-built temporary structures,” Hoover added.
Also Read: Cricket To Debut With 6 Teams At LA 2028
Cricket at LA 2028 will be played in the T20 format, with six teams competing in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Each squad will have 15 members with a total of 90 athlete quotas allocated for each gender.
Cricket is one of five new sports to feature at the upcoming Olympics. The IOC approved cricket’s inclusion for LA 2028 two years ago, along with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash.
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will take place between July 14 and 30.
