The 2028 Olympic Games are shaping up to be the most exciting in modern history. The 2028 Games will be hosted in Los Angeles, one of America’s most diverse and innovative cities, featuring five new sporting events to showcase American culture and dynamism to an international audience. The five new sporting events proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee and approved by the International Olympic Committee include flag football, baseball-softball, lacrosse, squash, and cricket. While some sporting events, such as lacrosse and cricket, have been played in previous Games, their inclusion in the 2028 Games will broaden the Game’s appeal and allow more athletes to showcase their skills on an international platform.
The inclusion of these five new sports provides Los Angeles with an opportunity to showcase American culture to a global audience. In a statement following the announcement of the new sporting event’s inclusion in the Games, LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman echoed this sentiment when he stated, “…I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world. Our Olympic sports program, in its entirety, reflects this belief. 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.”
New sporting events will broaden the Olympic Games’ appeal to a global audience. For example, cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports. It has a vast global fan base estimated to be over 2.5 Billion – ranking second only to soccer, which has an estimated fan base of 3.5 Billion – and is particularly popular throughout Asia, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Flag football, a shorter, non-contact version of American football that features a gender-neutral format, is growing rapidly in popularity, with an estimated 20 million people in over 100 countries currently playing the sport. Lacrosse is now officially the fastest-growing sport in North America, with over 2.9 million new players joining the game last year. With the addition of these sports, traditional “American” athletes who don’t get the opportunity to be known internationally because their sport is only prevalent in America will get to showcase their talents worldwide. For example, the NFL players who are considered household names in America are only known by an American audience. With the addition of flag football, America’s favorite football legends like Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski can represent the U.S. internationally.
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In addition, these new sporting events will create more inclusive Games allowing more athletes to showcase their skills on an international stage. Riccardo Fraccari, President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), confirmed this view when he stated, “…it is going to be an electric atmosphere in L.A. where the best baseball and softball athletes in the world will have the opportunity to play on the biggest stage in front of a global audience of billions.” Kevin Klipstein, U.S. Squash Chief Executive, also applauded the inclusion of squash in the 2028 Games and commented that “…this momentous decision provides squash’s world-class athletes the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the world.”
“Being a softball player, seeing my sport added to the Olympics is inspiring… I’m excited to see my sport being represented on an international level and can’t wait to see how Team USA does against other countries.” said Cameron Powell (11’)
Including exciting new sporting events in the 2028 Olympic Games and being hosted in one of the world’s most beautiful and dynamic cities will make the 28 Games a must-watch event for billions of sporting fans worldwide. America has long been an athletic powerhouse leading the medal count at most Olympic Games; now, it can showcase its inclusiveness and innovation as it showcases both popular global sporting events and fast-growing regional sports. By adding these new sports, America is building bridges to diverse communities worldwide and showcasing America’s commitment to inclusion.
