How cricket is perfect foil for IOC to enter hitherto untapped South Asian market
cricket fans worldwide is going to be a game-changer for the LA28 games, but also for the whole Olympic movement,” said Niccolo Campriani, sports director of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, commenting on the inclusion of cricket and the significance of the Indian market.
Campriani is right. Just going by the numbers, cricket’s inclusion in the world’s greatest sporting spectacle is a no brainer.
With billions consuming the sport in South Asia and its ever-growing diaspora, cricket is the perfect foil for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to enter a market that has so far remained untapped.
The Olympics, which claims to be a global movement, hasn’t yet set foot in South Asia. Cricket, it may be said, opens up South Asia like nothing else can for the IOC.
And that’s what makes its inclusion financially sustainable, yet another very important consideration for the LA28 organisers.
“It was not just important for cricket. It was important for the entire package.
While we wanted to put together the most compelling program ever, we have a steadfast commitment to do that in a financially sustainable way. And we breathe financial responsibility every single day.
When it comes to a new sports proposal, that was one of the key considerations and a bit of a north star. So, it was important for us to know that every single new sport that we would include would be financially sustainable,” explained Campriani.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a pitch for India’s possible bid for the 2036 Games and the 2029 Youth Olympics, it is only natural that the Indian m a r k e t could turn more important for the IOC and vice versa.
Indian corporates have now realised the importance of the Olympics as a brand and are
