CNA Explains: The 2028 Olympics will have cricket and squash. How are sports selected for the Games?
Five sports – cricket, squash, baseball-softball, lacrosse and flag football – have been added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. CNA looks at how and what sports are eligible to be picked for the Games.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Earlier this week, it was confirmed that five sports would be added to the programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The sports – cricket, squash, baseball-softball, lacrosse and flag football – were proposed for inclusion by LA Games organisers and received approval at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in Mumbai.
CNA looks at how sports are selected for the Olympics:
What are the criteria that sports need to meet?
First, the sport needs to be recognised by the IOC, and must be governed by an International Federation.
Only sports that comply with the Olympic Charter, the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competition are eligible to be in a Games’ programme.
Under the current IOC rules, each host city can propose the inclusion of several sports for their edition of the Games. This started at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the host nation’s organising committee proposed sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, baseball-softball and karate, all of which were approved.
A list of 35 criteria were used when the IOC evaluated these new sports proposed. They cover five main themes: Olympic proposal, value added to the Olympic Games, institutional matters, popularity and business model.
Next year's Paris Olympics will see breaking make its Games debut with sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing to feature based on the organisers’ proposal.
“Paris 2024 has taken the opportunity provided by the IOC in the Olympic Agenda 2020 to propose additional sports to enhance its programme and overall concept. The IOC is keen to set a new standard for inclusive, gender-balanced and youth-centred games,” said the organisers on their website.
“Paris 2024 submitted its proposal to the IOC to integrate four new sports that are closely associated with youth and reward creativity and athletic performance.”
Who decides which sports will be selected?
Only sports that comply with the Olympic Charter, the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competition are eligible to be in the Olympics programme, which consist of two components - sports and events.
Upon a proposal from the IOC Executive Board, the IOC Session will vote on the sports programme for an edition of the Olympics.
What are some of the more unfamiliar sports we could see at the Olympics over the next decade?
1. Flag football: A non-contact format of American football played by teams of five. American football last featured at the 1932 LA Games as a demonstration sport.
2. Lacrosse: A sport where teams try to shoot a rubber ball into the opposition goal using a stick with a net on its end. That net is used to carry, pass, catch and shoot. Only goalkeepers can touch the ball with their hands.
3. Breaking: A style of dance that originated in the United States in the 1970s. Athletes use a combination of moves as they improvise to the music and try to get judges’ votes.
Will e-sports ever appear at the Olympics?
At this point in time, this looks unlikely.
However, the IOC is looking into creating an Olympic Games for e-sports, said IOC president Thomas Bach last week. What this would entail remains to be seen.
Earlier this year, Singapore hosted the first-ever Olympic Esports Week comprising mostly virtual recreations of physical sports such as simulated versions of archery, baseball, chess, cycling, dance, sailing, tennis, taekwondo and motorsport.
This move drew flak as popular video games like Valorant, Dota and Mobile Legends, which typically headline major e-sports competitions around the world, were not included.
In response to media queries on the lineup, IOC said it was important that the featured games align with Olympic values such as participation inclusivity and "avoiding any personal violence".
What does the inclusion of the five sports mean for Singapore?
Speaking to CNA, Singapore Squash Association general manager Alex Wan said the association was “very happy and excited” to hear the news.
“As a sport, we have been collectively lobbying for it for years, and we are glad we got there. We really feel we are more than deserving to be in the Olympics,” he said.
“We hope this will also spur our younger athletes to take a step further in the sport. The Olympics is definitely the pinnacle of any sport, so we do not see why there wouldn’t be some who would want to go all the way."
Singapore Baseball and Softball Association president Foo Pei echoed this, saying that the Olympics is the "pinnacle" for competitive teams seeking to represent Singapore.
"We welcome the news that baseball and softball are included in the Olympics programme for LA2028," she said.
She added that the men's baseball and women's softball teams' debut appearances at the recently concluded Asian Games give the "beginnings of a blueprint" to work towards LA2028.
"We have to set our sights high and work towards that. But a lot still needs to be done," she said.
"This includes exploring more ways of funding our athletes’ dreams of representing Singapore at the highest sporting stage."
