Jump directly to the content
caught & gold

Olympics: Cricket to be played at 2024 Olympic Games if Rome wins bidding contest to host

Italians promise cricket will return to Games for first time since 1900

CRICKET will make a sensational return to the Olympic Games after an absence of more than 100 years if Rome wins the bidding war to host the 2024 Games.

The Italian capital is one of four cities hoping to host the Games, along with Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest.

 England cricketer Paul Collingwood with the Olympic flame in 2012
10
England cricketer Paul Collingwood with the Olympic flame in 2012Credit: PA:Press Association

 

 The Great Britain and French teams from the 1900 Olympics in Paris
10
The Great Britain and French teams from the 1900 Olympics in ParisCredit: French Cricket press

And they want to bring back Olympic cricket - which was last played in 1900 when Great Britain beat hosts France to claim gold.

New Olympic rules allow the host city to introduce five new sports of their choosing to that year's Games.

And Italy's cricket board has convinced the city's organising committee to include the sport as one of its five additional activities.

France Cricket is also trying to win a similar commitment with the Paris bid team.

Simone Gambino, president of the Federazione Cricket Italiana told : "If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included.

"We have had a firm commitment from the organising committee."

Insiders say there would probably be 16 teams competing, from all four corners of the globe, although it could be cut to 12.

Olympic rules could mean an usual assortment of teams - and England could miss out as they are part of the UK under Games criteria.

 Stadio Olympico in Rome, which could host Olympics again in 2024
10
Stadio Olympico in Rome, which could host Olympics again in 2024Credit: Getty Images Europe
10

Actors re-enact vintage cricket match at the London opening ceremony

 Cricket scene from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games in London
10
Cricket scene from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games in LondonCredit: Getty Images Europe
 Poster promoting Match De Cricket, at Paris Olympics in 1900.
10
Poster promoting Match De Cricket, at Paris Olympics in 1900.Credit: PA Archive

 

 Programme for the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris
10
Programme for the 1900 Olympic Games in ParisCredit: Wikipedia

It is unclear if the competition would involve T20 or a 50-over games.

A spokesman for the Rome 2024 organising committee told ESPNcricinfo: "Roma 2024 would welcome new sports, such as cricket, in the Olympic program also in consideration of the increasing number of people that are actively playing it in Italy.

Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee gave host city the power to suggest sports for admission to the Games.

The 2020 Olympics, to be held in Tokyo, recently nominated karate, skateboarding, sports climbing, surfing and baseball/softball for inclusion.

The next Games would not necessarily have to include the same five sports which had been selected by the previous host city.

 The opening ceremony at London 2012 contained re-enactment of historic cricket match
10
The opening ceremony at London 2012 contained re-enactment of historic cricket match

 

Cricket has not been played at the Olympics since the Paris Games of 1900, when Devon and Somerset Wanderers represented Great Britain and beat France by 158 runs to win gold. No other countries entered.

Golf is to return at Rio next month for the first time since 1904. However the sport's return has been dogged by withdrawals by star names.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama is the latest golfer to pull out over Zika virus fears. He joins world No1 Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzl and Vijay Singh in saying they will not be going to Rio.

 Hideki Matsuyama is the latest golfer to pull out of the Rio Olympics
10
Hideki Matsuyama is the latest golfer to pull out of the Rio OlympicsCredit: Usa Today Sports
 Rory Mcllroy says fears of Zika virus means he won't be going to Rio Olympics
10
Rory Mcllroy says fears of Zika virus means he won't be going to Rio OlympicsCredit: Getty Images

 

Topics