Fairgrounds in Pomona determined as hosts for LA28 Olympics on a temporary build about 50km to the east of Los Angeles.
Fairgrounds in Pomona to host cricket at LA28 Olympics.
The LA28 organising committee announced on Tuesday that cricket will be played at a specially constructed temporary location at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California, during the 2028 Olympic Games hosted by Los Angeles.
The Fairgrounds, often called Fairplex, is a 500-acre complex that has been the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922. Pomona is located roughly 50 kilometres east of Los Angeles.
Cricket is making a comeback to the LA28 Olympics, which will take place from July 14 to July 30, for the first time since Great Britain and France played a two-day match in 1900.
With 90 athlete quotas allotted to the sport, there will be six teams competing in the men’s and women’s divisions, with each squad consisting of 15 players. Cutoffs and the qualifying pathway have not yet been established.
“We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport’s return to the Olympics,” Jay Shah, the ICC chair, said. “Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, it will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences.”
The India-Pakistan match was one of the matches held in the pop-up stadium in New York during the men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean last year. Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill were also utilised.
Along with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash, cricket is one of the five new sports at LA28.
It is anticipated that cricket will be kept for the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, with the competition’s finals serving as the final games played at the Gabba before it is razed.