Cricket may not be a part of the 2026 Asian Games which will be held in Japan, a report claimed. The development comes after the confirmation of the inclusion of the game in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket makes a grand return to the Games. As per CricTracker, logistical challenges at Nagoya is one of the primary reasons as to why cricket could be omitted from the event.
Cricket to be omitted from Asian Games?
As per the report, cricket is unlikely to be a part of 2026 Asian Games despite the organizers having a plan to convert a baseball stadium into a venue for cricket. This contradicts the statement issued by Olympic Council for Asia (OCA) deputy director general Vinay Kumar Tiwari who had claimed that the organizing committee was very keen on cricket’s inclusion in the Games.
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Japan Cricket Association official Alan Curr stressed on the need for cricket’s inclusion in the Games for the development of the sport.
“It’s very important to get cricket into the 2026 Asian Games and put the game in front of people. For non-playing countries, cricket is seen as a minor sport,” Curr said.
Cricket in Asian Games
Cricket has previously been a part of the Asian Games on three occasions – 2010, 2014 and 2023. Both the Indian men’s cricket team and women’s team are the reigning champions and gold medalists from the 2023 Asian Games. While the matches in 2010 and 2014 were not considered as international games, the contests in the 2023 edition were accorded international status by the ICC.
While India skipped participation in the tournament in 2010 and 2014, the men’s and women’s team struck gold on making their debut at the Games in 2023.
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