Anurag Thakur on cricket in Olympics: "Two sides to this..."

 Amid the ongoing Executive Board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Mumbai, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday said the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 edition of the Summer Games in Los Angeles would depend on the twin aspects of profitability and budget allocation for sport at the quadrennial showpiece.

IOC President Thomas Bach is chairing the first Executive Board meeting of the IOC in India. The meeting kicked off at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on Thursday.

Thakur said that if cricket has to be included in the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have to arrive at a consensus on making budget allocation for cricket easy.

"There are two sides to this. First is how the ICC looks at it with regard to profit or loss. If cricket is made a part of the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee and the ICC, it would get easier for cricketing nations to allocate a budget for the sport. It will come as a massive boon for cricket in those 190 countries which lack proper infrastructure and facilities for the sport," Thakur told reporters on Friday.

Earlier, Kit McConnell, Sports Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Thursday that five sporting disciplines, including cricket, have been proposed to be included in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and the Executive Board of IOC will take up the matter on Friday.

"Los Angeles Committee proposed five games which can be the part of Los Angeles Olympics - which include Cricket. EB (Executive Board) will take up the matter in tomorrow's meeting," McConnell said at a press briefing in Mumbai.

The organisers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on Monday recommended the inclusion of cricket at the Olympics after 128 years of wait. Cricket made its Olympic debut in the 1900 Paris Games.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) released an official statement on October 9, announcing its bid for the inclusion of cricket in the Summer Games.

"After a two-year process, in which ICC worked closely with LA28, the list of sports to be added in LA included cricket, which will now be put forward for approval to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," the statement read.

ICC Chairman Greg Barclay was quoted as saying by the ICC, "We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics. Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century. I'd like to thank LA28 for their support during the new sport evaluation process over the last two years and we look forward to the final decision being taken at the IOC Session, in India, during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup next week."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session on Friday.