Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Cricket is expected to be one of the official sports in the 20th Asian Games which will be held Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026. This decision is set to be made in this weeks meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) with the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC).

A Japan Cricket Association official told us that although the Board approval is still waiting, it has already been deemed to be on the agenda for a while.

Cricket will feature in the competition among 41 sports to be hosted during the Games with approximately 15000 contestants and officials from 45 National Olympic Delegations Under OCA.

As reported in the news, approval of the implementation of cricket is set together in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) with the 41st AINAGOC nagoya City Hall meeting on April 28. As in last edition in 2022, the competition will be in T20 format.

India Holds The Champions Title For Both Men’s And Women’s Cricket

India became the gold medalist in both men’s and women’s cricket while competing in the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. The Games were scheduled for earlier, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were postponed to September 19-October 7, 2023.

A total of 14 men’s teams and 9 women’s teams participated for this year’s edition, and the number of participating teams for the 2026 edition will be confirmed during the ongoing coordination meetings.

Venue and Infrastructure Still Under Discussion

Although cricket is speculated to take place in Aichi prefecture, the exact venue has not been confirmed yet. The JCA has not ruled out using a modular stadium like the one ICC plans for the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York.

As this will be cricket’s first Olympic appearance since 1900, it is expected that interest will be high, especially considering the sport’s current popularity in South Asia with the inclusion of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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