The whole world will see Cricket as an integral part of Olympics if Rome manages to win the bid to host 2024 edition of the mega event, Italian cricket board chief Simone Gambino has confirmed on Friday, July 1st.
Gambino’s comments came during the ongoing ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh.
“If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included.
“We have had a firm commitment from the organising committee,” Gambino, president of the Federazione Cricket Italiana (FCI), was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Rome is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Games alongside Paris, Los Angeles, and Budapest. The host city will have the clearance to include five sports to the Olympics if they fall under the regulations.
If Rome eventually hosts the Games, the most probable location for cricket would be Bologna, where World Cricket League Division Four matches were held in 2010.
Earlier, in terms of applying for an Olympic T20 tournament in 2024, representatives from Italy and France assured ICC that they are already in contact with their respective Olympic Associations to avail support for cricket’s introduction if Rome or Paris manages to win the hosting rights.
This campaigning seemed quite necessary as IOC planning to ready the direct entry path – which the ICC was wants – to register a sport in the Olympics. If that happens, cricket’s inclusion in all future Games will depend on solely the host nation’s nod.
Amongst the other issues discussed at the ICC Conference, Saudi Arabia was inducted as the 39th Associate member while the world body decided to ratify the suspensions of USA Cricket Association (USACA) and the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).
It was also decided that an ICC delegation will visit the suspended nations in the near future.
“Both Nepal and the US are important Members of the ICC as they have tremendous talent and potential,” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said.
“The ICC, as part of its game and market development strategy, will continue to provide the countries with as much support as possible so that they can put in place good governance and cricket structures,” he added.