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Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
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ICC welcomes IOC’s provisional recognition

NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has welcomed the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to return cricket into the Olympic Movement after a gap of more than 100 years.

“The IOC’s decision to recognise the ICC and cricket for the first time since the sport featured in the 1900 Paris Olympiad will lead to closer collaboration between the ICC and IOC for the good of sport. It is also expected to enhance cricket’s profile in territories where it is a developing sport,’ the ICC stated in a release on Tuesday.

“This is great news for cricket,” the release quoted ICC President Ray Mali. “The Olympic Movement is instantly recognisable around the world and for cricket to be a part of that again has to be a good thing.”

Mr. Mali who met IOC President Jacques Rogge in Lausanne last October said: “Our goal has been to become an international federation that is recognised by the IOC.”

The IOC Executive Board which met in Lausanne over the weekend gave provisional recognition to cricket and sport climbing for their work with youth.

Return by 2020 Games?

The earliest that cricket can get back into the Olympic Games will be in the 2020 edition. The sport would not have completed the two-year provisional status by the end of the Beijing Games and its case is likely to be taken up after the 2012 Games in London. The Olympic programme is decided seven years before every Games.

Cricket is already part of the Asian Games programme and will be seen in the 2010 Guangzhou Games. It was featured in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games but efforts by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to get it included in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi failed since the Board did not evince much interest in the proposal. — Special Correspondent

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