Asian Games 2022: Cricket to be back in multi-sporting event after eight years

In what can be called a major development, cricket will be a part of the 2022 Asian Games. The multi-sporting event will take place from September 10 to September 25, 2022, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China and there will be five co-host cities. As many as 40 sports will be on display with a total of 61 disciplines, including Olympic sports like swimming, archery, athletics, badminton, equestrian and football.

Cricket is back in the competition after 8 long years and will be played in the T20 format. The 2014 edition of the competition saw cricket being played in both men’s and women’s category. In the men’s event, Sri Lanka won the gold medal by defeating Afghanistan by 68 runs while Bangladesh won the bronze medal, finishing at the third place. Pakistan won the gold medal in the women’s event by defeating Bangladesh. Sri Lanka secured a third-place finish and subsequently a bronze medal.

Will the Indian cricket team take part in Asian Games 2022?

Meanwhile, events like E-sports and breakdancing are set to debut in the 2022 Asian Games as full medal sports. The events received approval from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) this year. Meanwhile, India is a member of the South Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and one of the only seven countries to have participated in all the editions of the multi-sporting event.

However, like the 2014 event, the Indian team isn’t likely to take part in this year’s competition either with Asian Games taking place just weeks before the T20 World Cup 2022. Nevertheless, other athletes from the nation will be in action and would be raring to make a mark. It must be noted that India has won at least one gold medal at every Asian Games.

As far as the overall tally is concerned, India has won 139 gold, 178 silver, and 299 bronze medals at the Asian Games and needless to mention, the athletes will look to enhance the tally this year.
Notably, for the first time ever, more than 300 athletes from Oceania countries will compete in Asian Games. The Oceania athletes, including those from Australia and New Zealand, will be allowed to compete in five sports: triathlon, athletics, wushu, roller skating, and weightlifting.