Flag football, an adaptation of American football, is among those that will be included in the calendar
The International Olympic Committee has announced five sports that will be part of the program starting from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In a vote this Monday (16), in Mumbai, the IOC approved the inclusion of cricket, flag football, squash , baseball/softball and lacrosse.
“The selection of these five new sports is in line with American sports culture and will introduce iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
A week ago, the organizing committee of the 2028 Games indicated the inclusion of the five modes to the IOC, which made the decision official on Monday. Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debut, while baseball/softball, cricket and lacrosse will return to the Olympic schedule.
Flag football is a five-on-five version of non-contact American football; Instead of knocking down the opponent, the athlete must remove a ribbon placed on the opponent’s clothing. “Football” is the most popular sport in the United States, where the Games will be held in 2028, and the NFL has pressured organizers to include the sport in the Olympics. Due to logistics and the necessary rest time, the original mode will be replaced by the flag.
Other sports that had to be reduced to fit the Olympic program were cricket, in a version called twenty, and lacrosse. Both modalities were already present at the Olympic Games at the beginning of the last century, more than a hundred years ago. Baseball and its women’s version called softball return after being excluded from Paris 2024. Finally, squash has finally gained its inclusion in the Olympic Games after 20 years of trying.
Source: Terra
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