As cricket makes its long-awaited return to the Olympics, India will enter the LA 2028 Games as the favorite to win gold. The last time cricket featured in the Olympics, India didn’t have a team. This time, both the men’s and women’s cricket teams are poised to make history.
Key Points:
- Paris 2024 Recap:
- Despite high expectations, India failed to secure a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion in javelin, managed a silver medal with a season-best throw of 89.45m but fell short of the gold, which was claimed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem with a 92.97m throw.
- Indian wrestlers Nisha Dahiya and Vinesh Phogat narrowly missed out on gold, and Reetika Hooda’s quarterfinal exit further dashed hopes.
- Cricket’s Olympic Return:
- Cricket is set to return to the Olympics at the LA 2028 Games after a 128-year absence.
- The Indian men’s cricket team, reigning T20 World Cup champions, are strong contenders to break the gold medal drought.
- The Indian women’s cricket team, while not yet at the top, is improving steadily and could also be in the running for gold.
- India’s Olympic Gold Medal History:
- India has won a total of 10 gold medals in the Olympics, with the last gold coming from Neeraj Chopra in javelin at Tokyo 2020.
- The majority of India’s gold medals have come from men’s field hockey, with the team dominating the sport from 1928 to 1980.
As India wraps up a disappointing campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the country’s attention now turns to cricket at the LA 2028 Games. With both the men’s and women’s teams ready to compete, India could very well end the gold medal drought in their most beloved sport.
