Cricket in Olympics?

Have you ever wondered why is it that cricket has made it as a sport included in the Olympics? Well, the task of getting a sport to be included in the Olympics is as tedious a task as getting an athlete qualified to participate.

If first begins with the sport getting recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for which it has to have an international federation overseeing it and adhere to the World Anti-Doping Code. Then comes campaigning, which is long drawn and the cost could be as high as $6,50,000 per campaign! Films are made, presentations, lots of travel, produce booklets and this goes on and on.

The Olympic program is reviewed after each Games by the Olympic Programme Commission, which comprises of IOC members and representatives of the National Olympic Committees, international federations, and athletes. This body evaluates each sport’s “value” to the Olympic brand and mission. It then does the same for any IOC recognized sports that are campaigning for inclusion. Last but not the least - the Committee makes its recommendations to the IOC, whose members vote on whether to action them during its general meetings. 

The news now is that cricket will be included in the 2024 Olympics if Rome wins its bid to host the games. The 2020 Olympics, scheduled for Tokyo, recently nominated karate, skateboarding, sports climbing, surfing and baseball/softball for inclusion. To wait on the desire of a host city to add cricket would require the selection of a location that already has cricket as part of its culture, with the chance that it could then be dropped again after only one Olympics.