The ICC is not losing hope of cricket being among "additional sports" to be played at the 2028 Los Angeles Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) started the process of identifying the core sports for the grand sporting spectacle.

ICC hopeful of cricket featuring in 2028 Olympics as 'additional sport' after IOC starts identifying process

International Olympic Association (IOC) vice president John Coates on Thursday said that athletes are being encouraged to take the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the Tokyo Olympics but it will not be compulsory.

Encouraged but not compulsory: IOC vice president on athletes being vaccinated for Tokyo 2020

Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Monday he is "very, very confident" that spectators will attend next year's Tokyo Olympics, as he kicked off a Japan trip to boost momentum for the pandemic-postponed Games.

IOC's Bach 'very confident' Tokyo Olympics will have fans

Olympic chiefs admitted Friday they face a "very big communications job" to soothe concerns over the coronavirus epidemic in the run-up to this summer's Tokyo Games.

IOC face 'big communications job' as virus jitters hit Tokyo Olympics

It does not say yet whether it will heed calls to ban all Russian sportsmen and women from the Rio Olympics

IOC vows 'toughest sanctions' after report corroborates systematic doping, cover-up by Moscow