Lacrosse a ‘realistic’ chance of featuring in 2028 Olympics, says Asia-Pacific boss at Hong Kong Open
The sport is pushing hard to receive recognition as Asian nations – including Hong Kong – make strides
Lacrosse fans will have to wait at least eight more years for a “realistic” chance to be included at the Olympic Games but the sport may gain Olympic recognition as soon as this year, according to the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union (APLU).
“There are five sports seeking it at the moment and we are hopeful that we will be recognised this year,” said APLU executive director Fiona Clark at the 2018 Hong Kong Lacrosse Open – the four-day international tournament which will crown its overall men’s and women’s champions at King’s Park on Tuesday.
“We have been recognised as a sport by the [2017] World Games and we’ve just heard that we have been accepted in 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama – both men’s and women’s – which is extremely positive.”
After announcing it had dropped wrestling, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved five new sports at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games: a combination of baseball and softball, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding.
While lacrosse briefly featured at the Summer Olympics – 1904 and 1908 in a men-only affair and as demonstration sports in 1928, 1932 and 1948 – it will have to wait at least until the Los Angeles 2028 Games for a possible return.