The Italian city of Rome has promised to include cricket in the Olympic games if they win their bid to host the 2024 edition.

Rome is one of the cities bidding to host the Olympics in 2024 – alongside Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest. And as a host city they are entitled to add five sporting codes if they see fit. The president of the Italian Cricket Federation has promised that if his country wins their bid then cricket would be included as an Olympic sport.

‘If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included,’ Simone Gambino told ESPNcricinfo. ‘We have had a firm commitment from the organising committee.’

The last time that cricket was played at the Olympic games was in 1900 where Great Britain won the gold with France claiming silver. There was no bronze medallist as Belgium and the Netherlands – the other two teams scheduled to participate – pulled out.

The hosts for the 2024 edition will be announced on September 13, 2017.

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