Back on track: Cricket at the 2028 Olympics in LA
Published at 16 October, 2023October 13, 2023 - With enthusiasm, we have received the information for cricket to make a return to the Olympic stage. This is a significant historical milestone. After 128 years, the world's top cricketers, both men and women, will once again compete for Olympic medals at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Cricket is the second-largest sport in the world after soccer, with 2.6 billion followers. The Dutch national team is ranked in the top 15 in the world.
There is a very positive vibe going around Dutch cricket with the Men's Team currently participating in the World Cup in India. The timing couldn’t be better. Next year, the team has also qualified for the T20 version of the World Cup to be played in the USA and West Indies. The Dutch Women's Team is scheduled to compete in a qualifying event for a World Cup ticket in 2024.
In the Netherlands, half of our cricket community is of foreign origin. Our sport is a wonderful reflection of our multicultural society and provides a platform for many expats to accelerate their integration into our society through cricket.
The fact that cricket is becoming an Olympic sport is not only a tremendous boost for the Royal Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) but also a stimulus for other countries to further develop the sport of cricket, as stated by Monica Visser, Director of the Royal Dutch Cricket Board.
Anneke van Zanen-Nieberg, President of NOC*NSF: "My warm congratulations to the Cricket Board on this renewed Olympic status. Undoubtedly, this also means a significant extra boost for cricket in our country. A very positive development for this beautiful sport."
We extend our compliments and congratulations to the ICC and the other sports that have also become Olympic disciplines.
