The decision of the LA organising committee to pick squash, which has lobbied for decades to make the Games, and lacrosse, which last appeared in 1908, counts as a double surprise. The five new proposed sports after intense discussions between LA and the IOC's Olympic programme commission - will be officially ratified at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, which begins on Sunday.
The Guardian revealed in July that cricket was "very likely" to feature in LA, given the IOC's desire to tap into India's huge market, and yesterday first reported the decision ahead of the official announcement.
While negotiations have not always been easy between the IOC and LA, it makes financial sense for all sides for it to be included.
The numbers tell the story. The current Olympic broadcast rights in India are reportedly worth just £15.6m ($20m) for Paris 2024. But experts have told the Guardian that this figure could rise to £150m now cricket has been added.
This story is from the October 10, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 10, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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