Latest news with #LA28
India.com
16 hours ago
- Sport
- India.com
No India Vs Pakistan At Olympics? ICCs Qualification Rules May Ruin Iconic Rivalry At LA28
Cricket is set to make a historic return to the Olympic stage at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, marking its comeback after a staggering 128-year absence. Yet, amid the celebrations, a stark reality is beginning to dawn upon cricket fans: an India vs Pakistan clash at LA28 seems highly unlikely. Also Read: FACT CHECK: Did Arsenal Really Pay £1M For Olivia Smith In Biggest Women's Football Deal Ever? According to a Forbes report, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a regional qualification model that would allow only one Asian team direct entry into the Olympics. With the USA securing an automatic berth as hosts, just five spots remain for men's T20 cricket—and the format might end up denying fans one of the sport's most intense rivalries. Qualification Model Raises Eyebrows: Only One Asian Team Will Qualify The proposed model allocates one automatic spot each to the top-ranked team from Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Africa, with the sixth and final place to be decided via a global qualifying tournament. If adopted, only the top-ranked Asian team—currently India—would earn direct qualification. This leaves Pakistan and other Asian contenders fighting for a single berth in a high-stakes qualifier. While the Indian men's team currently tops the T20I rankings in Asia, any slip-up or scheduling conflict before the final cutoff could open the door for Pakistan or Sri Lanka. In a worst-case scenario, neither India nor Pakistan may make it to LA28—a devastating prospect for fans worldwide. Stakeholders Clash Over Fairness and Development The debate has split cricket's decision-makers. Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who is also part of the ICC Olympic working group, has called for a more inclusive model. 'We should really make the most of cricket being in the Olympics and have qualifying tournaments instead of rankings, which don't make sense in terms of trying to develop the sport,' Mukuhlani told Forbes. His views are echoed by several associate nations who argue that rankings favor full-member countries and stifle opportunities for emerging cricketing nations. Sumod Damodar, one of the three associate representatives on the ICC Chief Executives' Committee, emphasized the need for cost-effective yet inclusive solutions. 'We don't want to be in situations where every four years we are begging for inclusion,' he said, alluding to the long-term Olympic ambitions for cricket beyond 2028. USA Cricket Under Scrutiny Ahead of Their Olympic Debut As the host nation, USA is guaranteed participation, but their cricket board finds itself under a cloud. Amid governance issues and an ICC ultimatum for the board to resign, USA Cricket has been given a three-month window to resolve internal problems. Failure to do so could threaten their Olympic campaign and put the ICC's LA28 plans in jeopardy. Despite these hurdles, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass remains optimistic, celebrating the success of the PlayLA initiative, which has enrolled over one million participants. 'We are already delivering the Olympic legacy,' said Bass. 'When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighborhood.' Venue and Schedule Confirmed The cricket matches at the LA 2028 Olympics will be played at a temporary stadium in Pomona, located 50 kilometers from downtown Los Angeles. The T20 competitions will begin on July 12, 2028, two days before the official Olympic opening ceremony, with medal matches scheduled for July 20 and 29. Notably, women's cricket qualification will be tied to performances in the T20 World Cup, but uncertainty looms over how the USA women's team will qualify.
CNA
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Paralympian Frech eyes 'biggest party of all time' as LA28 approaches
LOS ANGELES :For American Paralympian Ezra Frech, the countdown to the LA28 Paralympic Games is an all-consuming passion as he prepares for what he calls a transformative moment for the city and the world. "I lay in bed at night and that's all I think about. I get up in the morning and that is all I think about. It goes through my head 24-7," Frech told Reuters on the red carpet of the ESPYs, where he was nominated for Best Athlete with a Disability. Frech, a track and field athlete who competed at the Tokyo and Paris Games, is confident that Los Angeles will deliver an unparalleled spectacle in 2028. "LA28 will be literally the biggest party of all time," said Frech, a Los Angeles native who competes at the University of Southern California. "This city knows how to throw a party and it knows how to throw a sporting event." Frech, who was born with congenital limb differences, captured two gold medals in Paris - winning the 100m and high jump in the T63 category for athletes with a single above-the-knee leg amputation. The Paris 2024 Paralympics set a high bar, Frech acknowledged, but he believes Angelenos are ready to take the event to new heights. "Paris set a great foundation. They showed us what a Paralympic Games can be, and now we as Angelenos have to take it to the next level," he said. Frech is featured in the documentary "Adaptive," to be released on Peacock on July 28. The show follows Frech, swimmer Jamal Hill, and women's wheelchair basketball players Courtney Ryan and Josie Aslakson as they navigate the road from Tokyo to Paris. "It's raw, it's emotional, it's gritty," Frech said. "There's laughter, tears, highs, lows, and then ultimately, the ultimate peak, which was Paris for me." Looking ahead to 2028, Frech is resolute about his goals. He has said he was gunning for the triple crown in LA - defending his two titles from Paris and adding a long jump gold to his collection. "One hundred percent I plan to compete, and I guarantee I'm winning all golds in LA," the amiable 20-year-old said with a smile. Beyond personal achievements, Frech emphasized the ongoing fight for Paralympians to be recognized alongside their able-bodied counterparts. "We are not asking for pity claps. We're not asking people to celebrate us just because we're disabled," he said. "We're out here competing on the highest level."
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Olympics-Paralympian Frech eyes 'biggest party of all time' as LA28 approaches
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Athletics - Men's High Jump - T63 Victory Ceremony - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - September 4, 2024 Gold medallist Ezra Frech of the United States celebrates with his medal on the podium REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -For American Paralympian Ezra Frech, the countdown to the LA28 Paralympic Games is an all-consuming passion as he prepares for what he calls a transformative moment for the city and the world. "I lay in bed at night and that's all I think about. I get up in the morning and that is all I think about. It goes through my head 24-7," Frech told Reuters on the red carpet of the ESPYs, where he was nominated for Best Athlete with a Disability. Frech, a track and field athlete who competed at the Tokyo and Paris Games, is confident that Los Angeles will deliver an unparalleled spectacle in 2028. "LA28 will be literally the biggest party of all time," said Frech, a Los Angeles native who competes at the University of Southern California. "This city knows how to throw a party and it knows how to throw a sporting event." Frech, who was born with congenital limb differences, captured two gold medals in Paris - winning the 100m and high jump in the T63 category for athletes with a single above-the-knee leg amputation. The Paris 2024 Paralympics set a high bar, Frech acknowledged, but he believes Angelenos are ready to take the event to new heights. "Paris set a great foundation. They showed us what a Paralympic Games can be, and now we as Angelenos have to take it to the next level," he said. Frech is featured in the documentary "Adaptive," to be released on Peacock on July 28. The show follows Frech, swimmer Jamal Hill, and women's wheelchair basketball players Courtney Ryan and Josie Aslakson as they navigate the road from Tokyo to Paris. "It's raw, it's emotional, it's gritty," Frech said. "There's laughter, tears, highs, lows, and then ultimately, the ultimate peak, which was Paris for me." Looking ahead to 2028, Frech is resolute about his goals. He has said he was gunning for the triple crown in LA - defending his two titles from Paris and adding a long jump gold to his collection. "One hundred percent I plan to compete, and I guarantee I'm winning all golds in LA," the amiable 20-year-old said with a smile. Beyond personal achievements, Frech emphasized the ongoing fight for Paralympians to be recognized alongside their able-bodied counterparts. "We are not asking for pity claps. We're not asking people to celebrate us just because we're disabled," he said. "We're out here competing on the highest level." The LA28 Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 15 to 27, 2028. (Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Paralympian Frech eyes 'biggest party of all time' as LA28 approaches
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Athletics - Men's High Jump - T63 Victory Ceremony - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - September 4, 2024 Gold medallist Ezra Frech of the United States celebrates with his medal on the podium REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo LOS ANGELES - For American Paralympian Ezra Frech, the countdown to the LA28 Paralympic Games is an all-consuming passion as he prepares for what he calls a transformative moment for the city and the world. "I lay in bed at night and that's all I think about. I get up in the morning and that is all I think about. It goes through my head 24-7," Frech told Reuters on the red carpet of the ESPYs, where he was nominated for Best Athlete with a Disability. Frech, a track and field athlete who competed at the Tokyo and Paris Games, is confident that Los Angeles will deliver an unparalleled spectacle in 2028. "LA28 will be literally the biggest party of all time," said Frech, a Los Angeles native who competes at the University of Southern California. "This city knows how to throw a party and it knows how to throw a sporting event." Frech, who was born with congenital limb differences, captured two gold medals in Paris - winning the 100m and high jump in the T63 category for athletes with a single above-the-knee leg amputation. The Paris 2024 Paralympics set a high bar, Frech acknowledged, but he believes Angelenos are ready to take the event to new heights. "Paris set a great foundation. They showed us what a Paralympic Games can be, and now we as Angelenos have to take it to the next level," he said. Frech is featured in the documentary "Adaptive," to be released on Peacock on July 28. The show follows Frech, swimmer Jamal Hill, and women's wheelchair basketball players Courtney Ryan and Josie Aslakson as they navigate the road from Tokyo to Paris. "It's raw, it's emotional, it's gritty," Frech said. "There's laughter, tears, highs, lows, and then ultimately, the ultimate peak, which was Paris for me." Looking ahead to 2028, Frech is resolute about his goals. He has said he was gunning for the triple crown in LA - defending his two titles from Paris and adding a long jump gold to his collection. "One hundred percent I plan to compete, and I guarantee I'm winning all golds in LA," the amiable 20-year-old said with a smile. Beyond personal achievements, Frech emphasized the ongoing fight for Paralympians to be recognized alongside their able-bodied counterparts. "We are not asking for pity claps. We're not asking people to celebrate us just because we're disabled," he said. "We're out here competing on the highest level." The LA28 Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 15 to 27, 2028. REUTERS
Reuters
4 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Paralympian Frech eyes 'biggest party of all time' as LA28 approaches
LOS ANGELES, July 18 (Reuters) - For American Paralympian Ezra Frech, the countdown to the LA28 Paralympic Games is an all-consuming passion as he prepares for what he calls a transformative moment for the city and the world. "I lay in bed at night and that's all I think about. I get up in the morning and that is all I think about. It goes through my head 24-7," Frech told Reuters on the red carpet of the ESPYs, where he was nominated for Best Athlete with a Disability. Frech, a track and field athlete who competed at the Tokyo and Paris Games, is confident that Los Angeles will deliver an unparalleled spectacle in 2028. "LA28 will be literally the biggest party of all time," said Frech, a Los Angeles native who competes at the University of Southern California. "This city knows how to throw a party and it knows how to throw a sporting event." Frech, who was born with congenital limb differences, captured two gold medals in Paris - winning the 100m and high jump in the T63 category for athletes with a single above-the-knee leg amputation. The Paris 2024 Paralympics set a high bar, Frech acknowledged, but he believes Angelenos are ready to take the event to new heights. "Paris set a great foundation. They showed us what a Paralympic Games can be, and now we as Angelenos have to take it to the next level," he said. Frech is featured in the documentary "Adaptive," to be released on Peacock on July 28. The show follows Frech, swimmer Jamal Hill, and women's wheelchair basketball players Courtney Ryan and Josie Aslakson as they navigate the road from Tokyo to Paris. "It's raw, it's emotional, it's gritty," Frech said. "There's laughter, tears, highs, lows, and then ultimately, the ultimate peak, which was Paris for me." Looking ahead to 2028, Frech is resolute about his goals. He has said he was gunning for the triple crown in LA - defending his two titles from Paris and adding a long jump gold to his collection. "One hundred percent I plan to compete, and I guarantee I'm winning all golds in LA," the amiable 20-year-old said with a smile. Beyond personal achievements, Frech emphasized the ongoing fight for Paralympians to be recognized alongside their able-bodied counterparts. "We are not asking for pity claps. We're not asking people to celebrate us just because we're disabled," he said. "We're out here competing on the highest level." The LA28 Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 15 to 27, 2028.
