Community members say they’re looking forward to cricket, India’s national sport, becoming a part of the games in Los Angeles.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially in the books, but we're already looking ahead to the next summer games in 2028.
By then, new sports will be added to the competition, including cricket.
The sport is similar to baseball, but with a few different rules. Dozens of people were playing it in East Hartford on Sunday, which happened to fall on the last day of the Olympics.
It was the Indian American Package Store Association of Connecticut's third annual cricket tournament at Pratt & Whitney Field. Fifteen teams came out to compete and by the end of the day, one was declared a winner.
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"Indian Americans own approximately 65-70 percent of package store businesses in the State of Connecticut," said Girish Patel, the group's executive director. "Our goal was to put forth this community bonding event that brought together wholesalers, suppliers, breweries, distilleries everyone together in one event."
Patel says the for Indian community, cricket is their national sport.
"It used to be where you started the game at 9 o'clock in the morning, then take a lunch break, and then take a tea break, and then end the game at five o'clock on that day, and that went on for five days," said Nish Patel, IAPSACT board member.
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But he says the game has evolved over the years. It no longer takes five days. Today, a single game lasts a couple of hours.
"It's called a gentlemen's game because of the patience that you show," said Nish Patel.
Players like Nish say they grew up playing this sport. They told NBC Connecticut they appreciate the attention cricket getting and will get in the coming years.
In fact, cricket was last played in the summer Olympics in 1900 in Paris. It's officially part of the 2028 Summer Games in LA, marking the sport's return after 128 years.
"I mean glad, I'm happy it's coming to the Olympics and getting more recognition," said Nish.
"It's kind of amazing that's been out of the Olympics for so long, so it's cool to see it come back," said Girish.
