Pomona Fairplex To Host LA 2028 Olympic Cricket Matches

India-West Staff Reporter

LOS ANGELES, CA – Cricket will make its long-awaited return to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games — and it will happen in Pomona. Organisers announced on April 15 that the sport will be played at a temporary, purpose-built venue at the Fairgrounds, officially known as Fairplex.

The nearly 500-acre Fairplex, which has hosted the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, is a year-round hub for cultural events, concerts, trade shows, and sporting activities. For LA28, it will become the epicentre of Olympic cricket, marking the sport’s first appearance at the Games in 128 years.

“We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen,” said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. “Los Angeles is the epicentre of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience.”

Cricket’s last Olympic appearance was at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain and France played a single two-day match. In 2028, the game returns in the faster, more globally popular T20 format. Both men’s and women’s tournaments will feature six teams each, with 90 athlete spots per gender, allowing for 15-player squads.

Cricket is one of five new sports added to the LA28 program, alongside baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash. Baseball, a familiar Olympic favourite, will be played at Dodger Stadium, which also hosted the Cricket All-Stars Series finale in 2015 — a showcase featuring legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.

“The 2028 Olympic venue plan invites communities from across the region to celebrate the Games coming to their backyard with the most exciting sports staged at some of the world’s top-tier existing stadiums and arenas, famous beaches and purpose-built temporary structures,” Hoover added.

International Cricket Council Chair Jay Shah welcomed the announcement, calling it a key milestone in preparing for cricket’s Olympic comeback.

“Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, it will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences,” Shah said. “On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating… to make cricket a huge success there.”

The LA28 Olympic Games will take place from July 14 to 30, with the full schedule — including cricket match days — to be announced closer to the event.