Cricket could be forced to make its Olympic return outside Los Angeles, organizers of the 2028 Games said Thursday, after reports the sport could be staged thousands of miles away in New York. LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman told a news conference that officials were still looking for a venue for cricket, which is included in the 2028 Olympic programme, more than a century after its only other appearance at the 1900 Games. However, Wasserman said that if a suitable location in Los Angeles could not be found, organizers would look for the best possible location outside the city.
“We don't have a cricket venue in Los Angeles,” Wasserman said after a visit by the International Olympic Committee's coordinating committee.
“It's a big footprint, and that's why we want to find the right place for cricket that has the greatest chance of success,” he added.
“If we can find a place for cricket in Los Angeles, in the region, we will. If not, our job is to find the best place to produce the best cricket.”
Recent reports in Britain and the United States have indicated that Olympic organizers are considering hosting cricket – a Twenty20 tournament – at a venue in New York.
New York successfully hosted matches at this year's T20 Cricket World Cup and Olympic officials were reportedly impressed with the venue at Nassau County Stadium on Long Island, New York.
Hosting cricket on the other side of North America would also increase the sport's commercial appeal from a television perspective, with daytime matches taking place in prime time in Asian markets such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
LA28 officials have already made the decision to move some sports outside of California, hosting softball and canoe slalom 1,300 miles away in Oklahoma.
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