T20 World Cup, MLC Played Pivotal Role In Cricket's Inclusion In Olympics: LA Sports Director

The US and West Indies jointly hosting the next T20 World Cup along with the success of the first edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) played a pivotal role in cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, said Niccolo Campriani, LA28 Sports Director on Monday. Cricket (men's and women's T20Is) returned to the Olympic Games after a long gap of 123 years since its maiden appearance in 1900, with lacrosse (sixes), baseball/softball, flag football and squash being approved as the additional sports for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The voting in favour of these games took place on Monday during the second day's proceedings of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) 141st Session.

"It's a game-change for the Olympic movement. It's a win-win-win scenario not only for the IOC and the cricket community but also for LA 28," Campriani, a former Olympic champion shooter for Italy told the media.

"The idea was to create a perfect combination of American sport to be showcased to the world, but also introducing global sports that are not as developed in the US market," he said.

"The stars have aligned, with the Major League Cricket that started this year as well as the T20 World Cup coming in 2024. It's going to be interesting to see what are the venues available, after the legacy of the T20 World Cup," Campriani said.

Campriani said the venues for the T20 World Cup next year, starting June 4, could be used for the LA Games as the idea is to not build new venues for the Olympic Games.

"We're still committed to not building a new permanent venue for the Games. We want to leverage on that legacy. I was lucky enough to do my observation at the CWG last year. We're really excited. This decision is specific for LA 28, but