Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma aiming to win Olympics Gold Medal? Rahul Dravid's sensational revelation
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid believes that the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is great for the sport and the cricketers 'will fight tooth and nail' to win that elusive gold medal.
Dravid is currently in Paris to attend a panel discussion on the theme 'Cricket at the Olympics; Dawn of a New Era', which is organized to celebrate the sport's inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028.
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Rahul Dravid opens up on Cricket's inclusion in LA 2028 Olympics
During the discussion, Dravid revealed that the players are now talking about the 2028 Olympic Games along with the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup.
The legendary India batter reckoned that it would be a great experience for the cricketers who would get to interact with the other athletes by staying in the same village. He also added that the players will give their absolute best to win the elusive Olympic gold.
"I've already heard a few conversations in the dressing room. People are talking about the 2026 T20 World Cup, there is an ODI World Cup in 2027, and you hear people saying there is the Olympics in 2028," Dravid said during the discussion."
"People are going to want to win that gold medal, stand on the podium, and be a part of the Games Village, a great sporting event, and interact with so many athletes," Dravid stated.
"As you get closer, I have no doubt that teams will be preparing and checking out facilities. They will take this seriously, and players will fight tooth and nail to be out there," he added.
Rahul Dravid hopes Indian cricket team to win two golds in LA 2028 Olympics
The legendary Indian cricketer also mentioned that being a part of such an event is going to be huge for the cricketers. He hoped India to win two gold medals in the event but also wants the world to get to know about cricket's greatness.
"You grow up watching the Olympics, seeing Carl Lewis winning the gold medal, watching the great athletes perform. You always want to be part of great events like this. The environment, the energy it's a dream come true. The dream for me to have a fantastic cricket tournament, hopefully Indian men and women winning the gold which would be nice."
"But more than that I wish for everyone here... So many Indian fans would be able to come there to LA and support cricket, and show the rest of the world how big and great a sport cricket is," Dravid said during the panel discussion.
Rahul Dravid recently ended his tenure as India's head coach after the team's successful T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in June 2024, in which India emerged as the champions. During the discussion, he joked about getting a media job to be involved in the 2028 LA Olympic games.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to play, but I will make every effort to be in LA in some capacity or another. If not anything else, I will try to get a media job," said Dravid.
Currently, India is competing with a total of 117 athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics. With cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Olympic games, India's medal hopes have surely received a massive boost.
