Doubts arise over cricket's inclusion in 2026 Asian Games

Fresh doubts have been cast over the potential inclusion of cricket in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in 2026. "...as far as we've been told by the local organising committee, cricket is not in the 2026 Asian Games," Alan Curr, Head of Cricket Operations at the Japan Cricket Association (JCA), told Emerging Cricket website.

"I have said everything I have to say on the matter in that interview," the JCA official told Cricbuzz on Wednesday (October 2). There have been conflicting reports in the media about whether the sport will feature at the quadrennial continental games at all. India are the defending Asian Games champions, having won the gold in Hangzhou, China, last year.

A recent Reuters report stated that a baseball stadium in Nagoya will be repurposed to host the cricket competition. But the JCA official said the information he had obtained was different. "Look, if cricket is actually included in the Games, obviously that would be fantastic. However, we have followed up with the organising committee who were pretty clear. There are 41 other sports they are going to deliver for the Games and cricket is not one of them at this stage. Unless someone tells us any differently, we won't be making any plans to take our teams to participate in this event," Curr told Emerging Cricket.

Asked about those comments, Curr told this website, "There is not much more to say." He went on to add, "The JCA has no power or ability to influence on this matter. It is down to the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) and the local organising committee." In the Nagoya Asian Games website, 41 sports feature, nine more than the recent Paris Games sports list, and cricket is not one among them.

Absence of cricket from the Asiad could be a setback in its globalisation efforts. It has been included in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and is also expected to feature in the next edition of Olympics in 2032, when the Games will be held in Brisbane, Australia, a cricket-crazy country.

When contacted, Randhir Singh, the head of Olympic Council of Asia, said he is hopeful that cricket will be a discipline. "That is my understanding. It's an Olympic sport now. I have inquired about it and I am hopeful it will be there in Nagoya," Singh told this website.