Summer Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 Sports Programme Road to LA 2028

[Fly_like_a_don 1,089]

It looks like cricket is all but assured to return to the LA2028 games along with flag football as confirmed by various Indian and Australian sources. The organizing committee agreed to add cricket on the condition that flag football be included. 

 

 

[AsensioWillemsen 158]

If base/softball is included, where will they get the 3-400 extra quota from? Or will they increase the cap?

[Olympian1010 7,971]

Imagine they add baseball/softball, cricket, and flag football 

[El Analyzer 191]

10 hours ago, Dragon said:

My analysis.

 

Baseball

POSITIVES - One of the biggest sports in the host country,  will require no new facilities, might attract big crowds live, A US Olympics might persuade MLB to allow players to compete

NEGATIVES - Little interest outside a few parts of the world (North America, parts of Central and South America and East Asia), If MLB doesn't allow their players to go the Olympics then the competition will be the lowest quality of any Olympic sport. Will take a lot of quota places

 

Flag Football

POSITIVES - A variation of one of the biggest sports in the host country,  will require no new facilities, might attract big crowds live. A US Olympics might persuade the NFL to allow players to compete

NEGATIVES - Little interest outside the USA, the USA will win easily, unlike Rugby Sevens it's not established as a serious sport. Will take a lot of quota places

 

Breaking -

POSITIVES - Got to be in with the street culture, dude. It's quite fun to watch

NEGATIVES - There is no subjective way of judging the "sport". Is it even a sport?

 

Cricket

POSITIVES - India is the last important country in the world where Olympic TV rights are undervalued. Mr.Bach likes Rupees.

NEGATIVES - Will need new facilities. Cricket is only played well in about 25 countries around the world. Will take a lot of quota places

 

Lacrosse

POSITIVES -  Popular in North America. Exciting to watch.

NEGATIVES - Only a handful of countries are competitive. Will take a lot of quota places

 

Karate and Kickboxing

POSITIVES - Widespread competition around the world

NEGATIVES - Too many similar combat sports in the Olympics.

 

E-Karting

POSITIVES - There must be some?

NEGATIVES - Does motorsport belong in the Olympics anyway?

great analysis mate, but looks like you already dropped Squash from your list (or you can't find pros and cons )

 

I like your last comment about Breaking 

[Olympian1010 7,971]

13 minutes ago, El Analyzer said:

great analysis mate, but looks like you already dropped Squash from your list (or you can't find pros and cons )

 

I like your last comment about Breaking 

He ignored it like the IOC.

 

[Gianlu33 4,550]

2 hours ago, AsensioWillemsen said:

If base/softball is included, where will they get the 3-400 extra quota from? Or will they increase the cap?

Host sports are not included in the 10.500 quotas

[Olympian1010 7,971]

3 minutes ago, Gianlu33 said:

Host sports are not included in the 10.500 quotas

I believe they are supposed to be. 10,500 was the hard limit as far as I know. Although, there is some reporting suggesting the IOC may allow more than that for 2028.

[Dragon 1,844]

3 hours ago, Olympian1010 said:

He ignored it like the IOC.

 

Oops.

 

Squash

Positives -  Relatively easy to host, really, really wants to be in the Olympics

Negatives - Been trying to be included for decades. If not successful in the past then why now?

 

The story seems to be that the LA organizers really want Baseball/Softball and Flag Football for local interest.

The IOC want Breaking and Cricket to break into new markets.

And they need to work out a compromise between the two.

[De_Gambassi 1,223]

3 hours ago, Gianlu33 said:

Host sports are not included in the 10.500 quotas

They are for 2024. But if we are talking about 2 or 3 team sports for 2028, they probably won't be.

[mpjmcevoy 362]

5 hours ago, El Analyzer said:

great analysis mate, but looks like you already dropped Squash from your list (or you can't find pros and cons )

 

I like your last comment about Breaking 

Squash is probably the single most obvious sport whose absence is nigh on inexplicable. It doesn't have the reach of tennis obviously, but is probably comparable to any other racket sport in terms of global interest - certainly 5 continents (Egypt, Pakistan, Britain, United States (or at least variants), Australia), venue is an easy relatively build, governing body will bend over backwards to get entry, top players want to be there. I genuinely wonder is there someone high up in the IOC who has a personal grudge against the sport - did so frat boy squash player flirt with Bach's wife or something.

 

There are other sports I'd love to see more in the Games (and a few I'd bin), but it just seems such an obviously Olympic sport.

 

I think Baseball can be justified, especially given it's the US, and leave cricket to 32 in Brisbane. I cannot for the life of me see a justification for flag football - and I say that as a lifelong NFL fan who liked Arena football. There simply is not the reach - it would be like putting Aussie Rules flag football, or Gaelic Football or Hurling or shinty  nines in the thing - some sports are just very location specific, and the Olympics aren't the place for them.