Cricket at the Asian Games reminds of what’s surely coming to the Olympics

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The Asian Games offer a preview of what could soon be coming to the Olympics. That’s surely the case with cricket, which seems headed to the Olympic program as soon as the 2028 Los Angeles Games or the 2032 Brisbane Games.

India’s women won the gold medal on Monday at the Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka in the 20-overs format. India scored 116-7 to beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs. The Sri Lankans scored 97-8.

“On this kind of wicket, we thought even if we scored something near the 120-run mark, we could defend it because we have a strong bowling unit,” India cricketer Minnu Mani said.

In the bronze medal game, Bangladesh scored 65-5 to defeat Pakistan, which scored 64-9. Bangladesh won by five wickets with 10 balls remaining.

“Our players had to hold on to their nerves and make it possible,” Bangladesh coach Hashan Tillakaratne said.

The men’s cricket final at the Asian Games is Oct. 7, which could generate a massive television audience if archrivals India and Pakistan face off. That final, however, could be overshadowed by the start of the Cricket World Cup in India, which runs Oct. 5-Nov. 19.

The International Olympic Committee earlier this month delayed a decision about adding cricket and several other sports to the Los Angeles Games. The IOC has given no clear timetable about when a decision about cricket will be made.

Cricket appeared in the Olympics for the only time in 1900 at the Paris Games.

Cricket’s return would be a big source of television revenue for the IOC, which generates more than half of its billions in income from selling television rights.

WORLD RECORD

India set the first world record of the Asian Games in the 10-meter team rifle event. The new mark is 1,893.7 points. The old mark was set last month by a Chinese team.

The record gave India its first gold medal at this year’s Asian Games. The Indian team members were Rudrankksh Patil, Divyansh Panwar and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar.

NORTH KOREA MEDAL

North Korea, appearing in its first international multi-sport event since the 2018 Asian Games, took bronze on Sunday in judo. Chae Kwanglin won the medal in the 60-kilogram class.

The Asian Games involves about 12,400 competitors from 45 nations and territories with 481 gold medals on the line.

CHINESE ROWING

China won 11 of the 14 gold medals in rowing, a sport it has dominated in the Asian Games since it was introduced in 1982. The two days of rowing wrapped up on Monday. The first gold medal in the Asian Games was awarded on Sunday in rowing. China won that one.

CHINA MEDALS

The race to the top the medal table is no race at all. Through the first 50 gold medals awarded, China has won 32. It also has won 50 medals overall, far ahead Japan and South Korea, the main competition.

China won almost 300 medals in Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games and seems certain to surpass that total at home.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press