For the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the addition of five new sports: cricket, lacrosse, flag football, squash, and baseball/softball. This marks the first Olympic appearance for cricket since 1900 and for lacrosse since 1908. Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts.
The LA28 programme will feature 36 sports, the largest in Olympic history. The decision was confirmed by the IOC Session in Mumbai on October 16, 2023. Baseball and softball, which were not included in Paris 2024, return after last appearing in Tokyo 2020.
Lacrosse was last contested at the 1908 London Olympics, where Canada won gold and Great Britain silver. Cricket's only previous Olympic appearance was in 1900 in Paris, with Great Britain winning gold. Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, and squash, a racket sport, are new additions.
The inclusion of these sports aims to engage younger audiences and reflect the sporting culture of the host country. The LA28 Games are scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 30, 2028.
