Paris, July 29 (IANS): Former India head coach Rahul Dravid lauded cricket’s inclusion in the sports program for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 by calling it truly phenomenal.

Dravid graced the inaugural India House as part of a panel discussion on cricket's inclusion in the Olympics that was organised by Dream Sports. He also congratulated Manu Bhaker for her historic bronze in shooting and expressed his desire to be at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 in some capacity.

Speaking as part of an exclusive panel discussion, titled 'Cricket at the Olympics - Dawn of a new Era', at the first ever India House at the Paris Olympics, Dravid said, , "It always felt like cricket should be a part of this. It is truly a great game. It is followed by so many people around the world. It is fantastic for someone like me who is now only a fan. It is truly phenomenal."

While speaking about his love for the Olympics, Dravid recalled his memories of watching a former US track and field athlete Carl Lewis, who won nine Olympic golds, bagging a medal on television.

"If you love sport as I have, you grow up with the Olympics. My earliest memories are of Carl Lewis winning at the Olympics and television coming to India. We used to be glued to the television sets to watch these great athletes perform and play. You always wanted to be a part of a great event. You have great events in cricket but they are individual events. To be in this kind of environment, energy and vibe is a dream come true for any sportsman," said Dravid.

The 51-year-old also reflected on the passion for cricket in the USA, where a recently concluded T20 World Cup was held. "We know there is an incredible audience for cricket in the USA. We know that just from the number of people who travel from USA to other World Cup events. There is a huge passion for the game in the USA. Just growing the game and having more people play the game was phenomenal," he said.

The panel also featured the International Cricket Council’s CEO Geoff Allardice, and Harsh Jain, CEO of Dream Sports. Allardice spoke about the ICC’s vision of growing the game, saying, "You could see in the way the USA performed at the T20 World Cup and all of a sudden people who didn’t know about cricket were talking about the performance of the USA team. Leading up to the Olympics in 2028, that was the first real statement there. USA having a really competitive cricket team four years out from hosting the Olympics is a really good step."

Calling cricket’s inclusion at the Olympics long overdue, Jain added, "The ICC has over a 100 members, so more than half of the world plays cricket. It is a big win win for the world to have a billion people more watch the Olympics. It is a big moment for India and cricket. It is a big moment for cricket’s development in the world. A lot more funding would go towards cricket’s inclusion at the grassroots level."

India House is situated at the Parc de la Villette in the Park of Nations and will be open to visitors from 11 am to 11 pm local time during the Olympic Games from July 27 to August 11.

During the Paris Olympics 2024, it represents a historic milestone as the first-ever India House in the history of the Olympic Games. This initiative, conceptualised by Reliance Foundation as part of their partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), offers an immersive experience in Indian culture, arts, sports, technology, and gastronomy. It provides a unique and comprehensive showcase of India's rich heritage to the world.