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Plea for cricket in 2012
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard10.09.08
A campaign has been launched to include cricket in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Labour Assembly member Murad Qureshi has set up an online petition and Facebook page. He wants the sport to be included in its Twenty20 form, in which matches normally take between two and three hours.
Traditionally, each Olympic host nation includes a national sport as a "demonstration" event. China showcased Wushu, a full-contact sport derived from traditional martial arts.
Mr Qureshi said: "If the Chinese can show Wushu to the world, I can see no reason why London shouldn't have cricket in 2012. It is this country's summer game after all." He will present the petition to the International Olympics Committee and London Organising Committee next month. To sign it go to: www.twenty20for2012.com
Reader views (2)
It does not matter what it's called the point is it cricket should be in the Olympics, starting 2012.Whatever the reasons it's bizarre that such a major sport is excluded even in the land of its birth,and baffling why the British,former world leaders,find that acceptable.I bet the French would be upset if this were their situation
- Lloyd, ny,usa
Only problem is, if the writer did her research, the IOC dropped demonstration sports after Barcelona 1992. Wushu was included by the Chinese as a side event but had no official recognition by the IOC or BOCOG.
- Harry, London
