LA28 cricket venue revealed

The Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California, will host cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the organising committee announced on Tuesday.

According to the details, the Fairgrounds in Pomona - officially called Fairplex - is a nearly 500-acre event complex in Southern California. Since 1922, it has been home to the Los Angeles County Fair and also serves as a year-round venue for concerts, trade shows, sports, and cultural events.

"We've promised the world an incredible Olympic Games and today we're proud to share the plan that will make it happen," said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover.

"Los Angeles is the epicentre of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience."

The development was welcomed by ICC chairman Jay Shah, who termed the announcement a significant step in preparations for the sport's return to the Olympics.

He further claimed that cricket's return to the platform will expand its appeal to a new audience.

"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," said ICC chairman Shah.

"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.

"On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success there."

Last week, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the number of participating teams in both men's and women's competitions and also confirmed the player quotas.