Baseball-softball and flag football could be part of the LA event.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics sports presentation is being finalized with baseball and softball not part of the planned program. Baseball and softball will not be featured at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Do baseball and softball need the global platform in Los Angeles? The answer is no. Baseball is played in North America, in Australia, in parts of the Pacific Rim in Japan and South Korea and in Latin America and in a piece of Europe and part of South America. Former Major League Baseball players are trying to push baseball in India. Major League Baseball is planning a series in Paris after the 2024 event is done. But how can you throw an Olympics party in Los Angeles and not invite baseball?
Baseball and softball officials will plead their cases as to why the sports should be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics program and the two sports have competition. There are 28 confirmed sports for the 2028 LA games. Nine sports want to be part of the Los Angeles experience. Baseball-softball is considered a combined proposal. Breaking, cricket, flag football, karate, kickboxing, lacrosse, motorsport and squash will make cases as well. Which form of motorsport would be acceptable? Formula One, karting, Indy or NASCAR type racing? Motorsport last appeared at the 1900 Games in Paris. Motorsport has never been considered for inclusion because of a clause in the Olympic Charter which stated that “sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable”. But that clause has been gone for 10 years. Cricket has not been a part of the Olympics since 1900. The National Football League is pushing for the inclusion of flag football at the LA Games. It is hard to believe the IOC will say no to baseball and football at the 2028 LA Games.
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