LA Olympics 2028 cricket schedule revealed: Women's and Men's competition to begin on July 12 and 22

LA28 on July 14 announced the full schedule for the Olympics Games, three years ahead of the sporting extravaganza. Cricket is among the seven sports which will begin prior to the official start to the Olympics. Hence, the organisers have referred to these two matches as "minus one" and "minus two".

The women's opening match will be played on July 12. The second match will be played on the subsequent day. The medal events will take place on July 20. The men's competition will begin on July 22. The medal events will take place on July 29.

The matches will be played at Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium. The venue is 48 kilometres away from Downtown LA.

"For nearly a century, this location has served as the home of the annual LA County Fair and hosts a variety of year-round events, including trade shows, conventions and sporting events. The sprawling grounds will serve as the backdrop for Cricket's triumphant return to the Olympic Games-128 years in the making," LA28 stated in its release.

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ICC yet to finalise Olympics qualification process

So far, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not announced how the teams will qualify for the LA Olympics 2028. In the upcoming annual conference from July 17 to 20 in Singapore, the decision will be taken in the apex cricket board's annual press conference.

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However, the teams are likely to qualify for the event as per the ICC rankings. There is also an option of organising a qualifying tournament, giving a chance for associate countries to have a shot at the Olympics. However, given the tight schedules, the tweaks to fit in a qualifying tournament may prove to be a hassle.