October 16, (THEWILL) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially added five new sports to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Flag football, baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket will all make their return to the Olympics after being voted in during an IOC meeting on Monday.
Baseball and softball will be back after last appearing at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The two sports enjoyed previous stints at Olympic events before being removed from the programme after 2008. Cricket and lacrosse also have Olympic history, having been featured in 1900 and 1904 respectively. Flag football will be making its first-ever appearance at an Olympic Games.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, said the new additions will “showcase iconic American sports to the world while bringing international sports to the United States.” He added that they will help the Olympics engage with new fans and athletes, both in the US and globally.
Under IOC rules, host cities can propose adding sports to their specific Games. Details around tournament formats and participation eligibility for the new sports are yet to be confirmed. The IOC session also reinstated modern pentathlon and weightlifting onto the LA 2028 sports programme after governance changes were made in each sport.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
