Cricket included in 2026 Japan Asian Games, OCA confirms

Cricket will be a part of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) confirmed.

 

 

Cricket matches will be played in the T20 format and hosted in Aichi prefecture, although the exact venues are yet to be finalised.

 

 The call to retain cricket was taken during the meeting between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the organising committee (AINAGOC) earlier this week. According to the OCA said, the popularity of the game among South Asian countries and its inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympics were among the reasons they considered before taking a call.

 

 

"The latest development in the compilation of the sports programme came at the 41st meeting of the AINAGOC Board of Directors at Nagoya City Hall on Monday, April 28, when cricket and Mixed Martial Arts were both formally approved," the OCA said.

 

 

Cricket will be among 41 sports featured at the Games, which are expected to see participation from 15,000 athletes and officials representing the OCA's 45 National Olympic Committees.

 

This will be the fourth time cricket features in the Asian Games, following its inclusion in Guangzhou (2010), Incheon (2014), and Hangzhou (2023). The Indian men's and women's teams are the defending champions.

 

Cricket will also feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It will be cricket's first appearance in the Olympics since 1900 in Paris, where Great Britain beat France by 158 runs in the final of the two-team tournament.

 

Cricketers will be accommodated in hotels, alongside athletes from badminton and football, the officials said. 

Sports