FIFA president Gianni Infantino meets ICC chief Jay Shah, says looking to working together to unite world through sports

MILAN: FIFA president Gianni Infantino met International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah in Milan, marking a massive crossover moment between two of the most popular sports in the world.

Infantino took to Instagram, sharing a picture of himself with Shah, hailing his work in cricket’s growth and wishing him luck as the sport makes a grand return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He also expressed the desire for collaboration with Shah in their bid to “unite the world through sports”.

“It was my pleasure to meet @icc Chairman Jay Shah today in Milan. The outstanding work he has done to grow the beautiful game of cricket is exemplary. I wish him and everyone the very best as cricket gets re-introduced to the Summer Olympic Games in two years time. I also look forward to working together and collaborating as we unite the world through sports”, Gianni said.

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A post shared by Gianni Infantino – FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)

The return of cricket to the Olympics signals another major step forward in the sport’s global expansion, and to celebrate the game on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. The announcement marks another landmark moment for the sport, which will be making its second-ever Olympic appearance – 128 years after its debut in Paris 1900, when Great Britain claimed gold in a one-off match against France.

The mode of qualification for the LA28 Olympic Games is yet to be confirmed, but will likely be discussed during the ICC’s Annual Conference in Singapore starting on July 17.

This is only the second time the sport has made an appearance at the Olympics since 1900. Back then, only two teams, Great Britain and France, had played a two-day match, with the former winning the gold medal.

Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics demonstrates its growing popularity, with women’s cricket making its Commonwealth Games debut in 2022 at Birmingham. Meanwhile, both men’s and women’s cricket have been part of the Asian Games programme since 2010, 2014, and 2023.

Following the announcement of the confirmed number of teams and the venue for LA28 back in April last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the T20 competitions for the men’s and women’s categories at LA28 will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028. (ANI)