Five New Ball Games Added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

On August 13, 2024 local time, it was reported by the media that as the closing ceremony ended, the Paris Olympics came to a close, and now it's the cycle leading to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. On August 12, it was reported that the American media "ESPN" confirmed that the Los Angeles Olympics has added five new events, including baseball/softball, lacrosse, cricket, squash, and flag football.

On October 16, 2023, at the 141st plenary session of the International Olympic Committee held in Mumbai, India, a proposal was passed, deciding that the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will add five major events such as baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse, squash, and flag football.

Here is a brief introduction to these five newly added ball games:

Baseball/Softball: Originated in the 15th century and was initially popular in the United Kingdom before spreading to the United States. Globally, there are a large number of baseball event spectators every year. The baseball industry accounts for up to 12% of the world's sports industry market share and is now quite popular in Japan and South Korea. Baseball/softball made its appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when the Japanese team won two gold medals in men's baseball and women's softball. The United States and Japan are the two major powers in this event.

Cricket: Originated in the 17th century and is mainly popular in former Commonwealth countries. In terms of the number of audiences alone, cricket has nearly 2.5 billion followers and is the second largest sport in the world after football. Cricket is regarded as the "national sport" of India, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is also one of the most watched sports events in the world. On the cricket field of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, some countries that usually have difficulty winning gold medals, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Namibia, and even Papua New Guinea, are expected to be in the spotlight.

Flag Football: Originating from American football, it has gradually become popular in China in recent years. It was a demonstration event at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, USA. At that time, the United States team won the men's group championship, and the Mexican team defeated the host in the women's group final. Currently, about 20 million people in 100 countries and regions worldwide have participated in flag football, and in China, it is estimated that there are more than 200,000 participants each year and the number continues to grow. This sport is regarded as more suitable for teenagers to participate in as it doesn't involve much physical confrontation. The traditional powerhouses are concentrated in the three North American countries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Lacrosse: Originating from Native Americans and later popularized by a Canadian dentist. It was once an event at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics and the 1908 London Olympics. It has an audience in more than 100 countries but is still relatively niche. So far, only three national teams have participated in the Olympic lacrosse competition, and the Canadian team has won the championship twice. This sport has emerged in China in recent years, and there are folk enthusiasts in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. At the end of 2023, at the Hong Kong leg of the International Super Lacrosse Sixes, both the Chinese men's and women's teams won the third place.

Squash: As a variation of tennis, its format is similar to tennis where two people stand on the same side. The core gameplay is to hit the ball against the wall and rebound it to the opponent. This sport originated from the "racket ball" game popular in London prisons in the 18th century. Because it can be played alone and the intensity and rhythm are easy to control, it is very popular in North America and many former Commonwealth countries and has become a popular fitness activity. Since 1997, squash has been a fixed competition event at the World Games and is now an event at the Asian Games. It will make its Olympic debut in 2028. Pakistan, India, and other South Asian countries are the traditional powerhouses in this event. The Hong Kong team of China has also performed well in the squash event at the Asian Games, and the region with a relatively high popularity of squash in the Chinese mainland is Shanghai.

The main reasons why the International Olympic Committee chose these events include: These ball games all determine the winner by single-game scores, which is relatively simple and straightforward; The five new events are in line with the sports culture of the United States, reflecting a certain home advantage; These events have a huge audience and market in some parts of the world, and are expected to bring more considerable broadcasting revenue and commercial benefits to the Olympics. At the same time, the three events of skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing, which were newly added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will become permanent Olympic events in 2028. However, some events also face the risk of being postponed or canceled. For example, the boxing event has been temporarily postponed due to problems with the organizing party. Whether it can be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the International Olympic Committee will make the final vote in 2025.