When the Olympic Games come to Los Angeles in 2028, flag football and squash athletes will compete for the first time in the quadrennial event’s history.
On Monday, the International Olympic Committee ratified its vote on the various sports that had been proposed for the LA games, which will also include baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse, modern pentathlon and weightlifting.
“The hope of an Olympic dream just became an active pursuit for countless athletes around the world,” LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans said in a statement. “This remarkable journey over the next five years will undoubtedly change lives, inspiring athletes with the opportunity to represent their sport and country on the world’s biggest stage.”
Baseball has been in the Olympics six times and softball has been included five times. World Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari praised the committee’s decision, saying it “will help millions of fans engage with the Olympic Games” by including the sports’ biggest stars globally.
National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said the committee’s decision to include flag football for the first time “will inspire millions of young people around the world to play this game in the years ahead. The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football’s place in the Olympics movement long term.”
While the Olympic Committee has put a hold on its decision to include boxing, as it seeks additional information from the governing body for the sport, a total of 33 sports have been confirmed for the 2028 games.
The 2028 Olympics will be the third time Los Angeles plays host to the international sports competition and its first time as the venue for the Paralympic Games. LA first hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and again in 1984.
The opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympic Games is scheduled to take place July 14, 2028, with the Paralympic Games opening the following month.