(Photo Courtesy of Telegraph India) “Logo for the 2028 Olympic Games.”
Riley Fontana
Connector Editor
The International Olympic Committee has officially approved five new sports for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. These sports include softball, baseball, cricket, flag football, squash and lacrosse. These sports have mostly been accepted by fans, the outlier mainly being flag football. Squash and flag football are making their Olympic debuts while softball, baseball and lacrosse are all returning.
Baseball and softball are some of the most anticipated sports to be making a reappearance. Softball first made an appearance in 1996 hosted by the United States in Georgia and has so far been in five Olympic Games, most recently the 2020 games in Tokyo. Olympic baseball however has had a much longer run at the games. Baseball first appeared in 1904 at the Stockholm Games and since then has been in 14 Olympic Summer Games, most recently appearing in Tokyo.
Cricket however is only making its second-ever appearance at the Olympics. First seen in 1900 in Paris, it was scheduled for the 1904 games as well but was ultimately canceled. During its first appearance, only two countries competed which led to it not being renewed. The 2028 Summer Games could create the future for Olympic cricket or see the same failure as 1900.
Flag football is making its first-ever Olympic appearance in 2028. This sport is causing some debate among Olympic fans. Some argue it lacks the same physicality as regular football and is more of a kid’s game than an Olympic sport. Ultimately the fans’ opinions do not matter until the games air and the ratings per sport come in. Flag football feels like the most American sport that has been added for this round.
Squash is also making its first appearance at the Olympics. Squash is a sport similar to racketball and has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. Squash has been a proposed sport for several years but due to other racket sports such as tennis and badminton already being Olympic mainstays squash was moved to the backburner. This is sure to be a highly competitive game to tune into as squash players are finally getting their chance at the Summer Games.
The final approved sport is lacrosse, which has been seen five times. First seen at the 1904 games in St. Louis and last seen in 1948 in London. This sport has been highly anticipated with the rise in popularity of college and professional lacrosse. Lacrosse is a fairly complex team sport that relies heavily on communication which will make for a fun watch. Lacrosse is sure to be a must-watch sport even for those unfamiliar with the rules.
These five new sports for the 2028 Summer Games are sure to bring more viewers in. Baseball, softball and lacrosse are some of the most popular sports for children in the United States, and getting to see their country play and compete for gold is sure to bring more players in. Whether these sports become mainstays at the Summer Games is yet to be seen but they are sure to be amazing watches.
