Cricket officially added for Asian Games
It will make its debut in Guangzhou next year.
Both men’s and women’s teams will participate in a Twenty20 format
contest, with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh automatically
qualifying, along with host nation China.
Other countries will have to play a qualifying round to fight for
three additional spots.
“India and Pakistan were the drivers. Pakistan and India will come
with their best teams because it will be a big competition,” said OCA
president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah after the organisation’s general
assembly.
“Asia’s four Test-playing nations have committed to sending their
best available teams,” he added.
The 2010 Asian Games will take place from November 12-27 in the
southern Chinese city. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all scheduled
to play Test and one-day series that month, but the OCA said once a
schedule for Guangzhou was in place “truly the best players for that
format will be available”.
Cricket was last seen at a major multi-sport event at the 1998
Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, but was dropped for the next two
editions in England and Australia.
Its only appearance at the Olympics was in Paris in 1900, where in a
two-day match Great Britain represented by touring team Devon and
Somerset Wanderers beat France, whose team mainly consisted of members
of the British Embassy.
The Guangzhou Games will feature 42 disciplines, three more than at
the last event in Doha, with dance sport, dragon boat racing, and roller
sport added to the agenda. The Olympics have 28 disciplines.
More than 14,000 athletes from 45 countries are expected to take
part. SINGAPORE, AFP
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