The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed interest in working with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to potentially include cricket in the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). This development follows the Indian government’s announcement last year of its intention to bid for the 2030 YOG in Mumbai, alongside the 2036 Olympics.
William Glenwright, ICC’s General Manager of Development, responded positively to an email from Vivek Gopalan, who advocated for cricket’s inclusion in the YOG. Glenwright wrote, “It’s a good idea and something we could look at.” This email was also copied to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice and other key officials, including Wasim Khan, Claire Furlong, and Chris Tetley.
Gopalan’s email underscored the benefits of cricket’s inclusion in the YOG, stating, “There is a strong case for cricket at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with Mumbai bidding to host the 2030 YOG.” He further highlighted the significance of India’s leadership in this initiative, mentioning, “No less a person than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now publicly proclaimed India’s desire to host both the 2030 YOG and 2036 Olympics.”
Gopalan also made a compelling argument for cricket’s inclusion by noting, “All top sports, including Rugby Sevens, are part of the YOG. Why not Cricket? Including Cricket in the YOG would revolutionize grassroots cricket globally, especially among the ICC Associates.” The email added, “Now that ICC has formed strong links with IOC and IOC recognizes that the ‘cricket brand’ can enhance the ‘Olympic Brand,’ it would not be a difficult task to convince IOC to include Cricket as a core sport in the Youth Olympics.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously voiced India’s ambitions to host the YOG in 2030 and the Olympics in 2036. While the government’s current focus is on the 2036 Olympics, the idea of introducing cricket in the YOG aligns with the broader objective of expanding cricket’s global footprint.
Cricket is set to make its return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, marking its first inclusion since the 1900 Paris Games. The push to include cricket in the YOG could further cement its presence in the Olympic movement, with the age limit for participants set between 15 and 18 years old.
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