In order to bring cricket to the Youth Olympics in 2030, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has hinted that it may work with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Government of India’s announcement last year that it plans to submit a bid for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Mumbai, in addition to the 2036 Olympics, serves as the foundation for the ICC claim.
To a certain Vivek Gopalan, William Glenwright, General Manager of Development at ICC, wrote in an email, “It’s a good idea and something we could look at.” Wasim Khan, Claire Furlong, Chris Tetley, and ICC CEO Geoff Allardice were also copied on Gopalan’s email and Glenwright’s response.
Gopanal argues that Mumbai’s bid to host the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) shows how strong cricket is. “No less a person than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now publicly proclaimed India’s desire to host both the 2030 YOG and 2036 Olympics,” he said in another letter to the ICC official.
During his speech at the IOC session in Mumbai last October, Modi made a reference to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). However, the Prime Minister emphasised during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort ramparts that the Indian government’s attention has recently turned to bidding for the 2036 Olympic Games.
The email to the ICC representative makes multiple reasons in favour of cricket’s inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). It says, “The YOG includes all major sports, including rugby sevens. Not Cricket, why not? Global grassroots cricket would be revolutionised by adding cricket to the YOG, particularly for the ICC Associates.” Participants in the YOG must be between the ages of 15 and 18.
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The email goes on to say, “It would not be a tough effort to convince IOC to add Cricket as a key sport in the Youth Olympics now that ICC has developed strong relations with IOC and IOC recognises that the “cricket brand” can strengthen the “Olympic Brand.” For the first time since the 1900 Paris Games, cricket will be featured in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
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