The IOC session in Mumbai was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
New Delhi:
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti spoke about the format of cricket at the 2028 Olympics and claimed that the US will be one of the teams participating in the event.
Cricket will be part of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, returning to the multi-sport extravaganza after 128 years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday.
While speaking to ANI, Mr Garcetti said, “The cricket format is likely to consist of six to eight teams and the US will be one of them.”
Baseball was also one of the sports included in the list of sports that have a high popularity rate among the American fan base. While talking about the inclusion of baseball, Mr. Garcetti expressed his joy over the announcement and sent a message that he should not choose between cricket and baseball but love both.
“It’s a Hollywood story. We know the world is embracing American football more and more. It’s played in Europe, we’ve had matches here in Asia. Lacrosse is meaningful to us… It’s a great, dynamic, fast-paced game .We love baseball and softball. My message is: you don’t have to choose between cricket and baseball. You can love both. Squash is easy to put on at any Olympic Games. So we want to see more team sports. We’re going to have a “to have record numbers of athletes breaking every record and more athletes at the LA Olympics,” said Garcetti.
Mr Garcetti expressed concern about the ongoing wars between Russia, Ukraine and Israel and Hamas in the world, saying that in ancient times everyone put down their weapons so that sport could unite them.
“I think we have wars and conflicts all over the world. The tradition of the Olympic Games was the Olympic truce, in ancient times everyone laid down their weapons to let the sport unite us. Unfortunately, sometimes wars don’t end now, but on this moment, as you let the world come together. So we hope this inspires people that peace is better than war, that joining together is better than conflict,” the US envoy added.
Mr Garcetti also told
“The inclusion of cricket in the Olympic Games is long overdue. It also reflects the great diversity and athleticism of both our countries. I am so happy to be in India, the cricket capital of the world, to celebrate this landmark moment in # SportsDiplomacy! Thank you to Nita Ambani, @M_Raj03, Casey Wasserman, @JayShah and all the esteemed guests who joined me tonight in celebrating the love of sports. #LA28,” Mr. Garcetti wrote on X.
The inclusion of Cricket in the Olympic Games has been a long time coming. It also reflects the great diversity and athleticism of both our countries. I am so happy to be in India, the cricket capital of the world, to celebrate this milestone moment #Sportsdiplomacy!
Thank you… pic.twitter.com/dgC7kOzfWf— US Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) October 16, 2023
The IOC session in Mumbai was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. The session serves as an important meeting of the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). During the IOC sessions, important decisions are made about the future of the Olympic Games. India is hosting the IOC session for the second time after a gap of around 40 years. The 86th session of the IOC took place in New Delhi in 1983.
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