The Los Angeles Olympic organizers are searching for a suitable venue for cricket competitions, potentially on the East Coast of the United States. While the 2028 Olympic Games will be held in California, discussions are ongoing about hosting cricket matches in New York to accommodate viewers from the subcontinent, particularly in India.
Casey Wasserman, head of LA28, mentioned to Cricbuzz that they are still finalizing the details regarding the venue. The decision to explore New York stems from the significant time difference: Los Angeles is 12 hours and 30 minutes ahead of India. A match starting at 8 PM in LA would air in India during the early morning hours. Conversely, with a 9.5-hour difference, a match beginning around 10:30-11:00 AM in New York would allow Indian fans to watch at a more convenient 8 PM.
However, hosting matches in New York has raised concerns due to allegations of misuse of funds against some ICC officials, leading to an ongoing inquiry.
Aside from time zone challenges, finding an appropriate venue is another obstacle for the organizers. The US has very few established cricket grounds, and recent World Cup matches in New York were played in a temporary modular stadium that was dismantled after the final game in Long Island. Other cities like Dallas, Texas, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also hosted World Cup matches, while Major League Cricket (MLC) games are currently being played in Dallas and North Carolina.
So far, the LA28 organizers have not announced a cricket venue, although locations for most other sports have been revealed. Unlike other new sports, cricket poses unique venue challenges. LA28 has expressed its intention to minimize costs by using existing venues, but there are limited options for suitable cricket grounds in California and elsewhere in the country.
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This will not be the first time Olympic events are held outside the host city. For example, football matches were held across France during the recent Paris Olympics, and in 1984, LA spread its football matches throughout various locations across the United States when it last hosted the Olympics.
Cricket will make its return to the Olympics after more than 128 years; the last time it was included was in 1900 in Paris. Along with cricket, baseball, softball, flag football, squash, and lacrosse are among the new sports featured in the LA Games.