Los Angeles, 23 April (H.S.):
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has hailed the start of construction on the cricket stadium for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as a “historic moment” for the sport and its billions of fans worldwide. The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Wednesday at the Fairplex fairgrounds in Pomona, California, marks a major step toward cricket’s return to the Olympic programme after a 128‑year absence.
Located about an hour’s drive from the Athletes’ Village, the Pomona site will host a temporary, purpose‑built 10,000‑seat cricket venue for both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments at LA28. The design will mirror the pop‑up stadiums used in recent global T20 events, with the structure erected for the Games and then dismantled afterward, ensuring minimal long‑term footprint while enabling a world‑class spectator experience.
ICC Chair Jay Shah welcomed the development, calling it an exhilarating time for cricket and emphasising the sport’s growing identity as a global game. “Cricket continues to strengthen its position across new and emerging territories, and becoming a part of the Olympic family is a matter of great pride,” he said in an official statement.
“This stadium in Los Angeles will be the physical symbol of cricket’s Olympic comeback.”
ICC’s Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Gupta also described the project as “historic,” noting that the coming years will see several key milestones—qualification pathways, team entries and tournament logistics—that will deepen the narrative around cricket’s Olympic return. “Olympic inclusion will bring cricket a new level of recognition, broader reach, and stronger institutional support worldwide,” Gupta said, highlighting the sport’s potential to attract new audiences across the Americas and beyond.
The ceremony was attended by LA28 Vice‑President (Sport) Nicolò Campriani, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, India’s Consul General in Los Angeles, Dr. K. J. Srinivas, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore, and Fairplex Chair Walter Markes, underscoring the multi‑stakeholder effort behind the project. Organisers and advocates alike see the Pomona facility not only as a sports‑competition venue but also as a springboard for youth engagement and infrastructure development in the United States, a market where T20 leagues and domestic tournaments have already begun to reshape the cricket landscape.
Cricket’s formal Olympic return at Los Angeles 2028 will feature men’s and women’s T20 eight‑team events, with qualification and format details still being finalised by the ICC. Once built, the Fairplex stadium will stand as more than a showpiece; it will be the first dedicated Olympic‑cycle cricket arena in over a century and a visible sign of the sport’s ambition to compete on the world’s largest sporting stage.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
