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With the next edition of the Olympic Games set to be played in Los Angeles in 2028, former Australia cricketer Steve Waugh has dropped a shocking statement about cricket at the quadrennial Games. The legendary Aussie cricketer stated that China, a non-cricketing nation, are serious about winning a gold medal at the Los Angeles Games.
It is to be noted that cricket is making a comeback at the Olympics after 128 years with its only appearance coming in 1900. In its maiden appearance, Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs to win a gold at the 1900 Olympic Games.
China is serious about winning gold at Olympics: Steve Waugh
While the Game will see the return of cricket, Steve Waugh revealed that cricket’s inclusion is being taken very seriously by China as they have started to build a team to win gold. "As soon as cricket's inclusion in the Olympics was announced, China started building a team,” Waugh said, as quoted by ANI.
“They are serious about winning gold. T20 is massive now. It's billions of dollars, and it's growing every day. Test cricket will survive, but T20 will dominate. Players will soon be contracted mainly to franchises. Test matches might even need special permissions," he further added. In the latest update, LA28 Organising Committee revealed that Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California will host cricket matches during the Games.
Moreover, the sport will feature six teams each in men’s and women’s events. Each team will comprise of 15 players with the sport being allocated 90 athlete quotas.
