The Olympic Council Asia (OCA) announced on Tuesday, April 29, that cricket has been confirmed for the upcoming 2026 edition of the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan in September-October.
The OCA confirmed the news on their official website and said cricket and mixed martial arts (MMA) will be included in the global event.
“The latest development in the compilation of the sports program came at the 41st meeting of the AINAGOC Board of Directors at Nagoya City Hall on Monday, April 28, when cricket and Mixed Martial Arts were both formally approved," the OCA’s press release stated.
“The venue for cricket will be in Aichi prefecture, but the exact location has not been decided. Interest will be high, not only because of cricket’s popularity in South Asia in particular but also because the T20 (20 overs per side) format will be included in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. This will be cricket’s first appearance in the Olympics since 1900 in Paris, where Great Britain beat France by 158 runs in the final of the two-team tournament," it added.
Cricket part of the Asian Games in previous edition
It is to be noted that cricket was already part of the Asian Games in the 2010, 2014, and 2022 editions. The 2022 edition saw India lifting the gold medal under skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's leadership. The squad featured Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Ravi Bishoni. There was also a double delight in store for India as they also took home a gold medal in the women's competition under Harmanpreet Kaur.
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Cricket will also mark its presence in the Olympic fold at LA 2028 after more than 100 years since it last featured.
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