Football fans worldwide rejoiced as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened its doors to flag football, igniting a wave of excitement among the sports community on social media.
On Monday, the IOC announced that they had approved flag football and five more sports, namely baseball, softball, lacrosse, squash, and cricket, for athletes to compete in at the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The LA28 organizing committee proposed these sports for their version of the Games, which the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) and Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee later reviewed and approved.
Four of the games have already been held in the past and will now be returning to the scene. Baseball and softball have been contested in various Olympic Games before, the latest of which was held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Cricket was also featured in the Summer Olympics in Paris in 1900, as was lacrosse in the Games in St. Louis in 1904 and London in 1908.
Flag football and squash, on the other hand, will make their Olympic debuts in LA28.
Via the Olympic Games on X: IOC Session approves @LA28’s proposal for 5⃣ additional sports: ⚾Baseball/🥎softball, 🏏cricket, 🏈flag football, 🥍lacrosse and ⚫squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. #LA28
IOC Session approves @LA28’s proposal for 5⃣ additional sports:
⚾Baseball/🥎softball, 🏏cricket, 🏈flag football, 🥍lacrosse and ⚫squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. #LA28 pic.twitter.com/y7CLk2UEYx
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) October 16, 2023
Meanwhile, the NFL’s official X also relayed the news via a 30-second clip that features some of the most notable figures in football, like Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, two-time Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1713910292554387787
In a statement, IOC president Thomas Bach said that the games would be in keeping with American culture and that they would give iconic American sports a chance to shine while also luring athletes from other countries to play in the United States.
“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, as per Olympics.com. “Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”
Casey Wasserman, the LA28 committee’s chair, added that the group is eager to begin ground-breaking collaborations with important professional leagues following the IOC’s approval.
“We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences,” Wasserman said.
Read more sports news here.
Polish tennis players dominates Beijing and Shanghai tournaments