Sports Minister Mandaviya hails Indian lacrosse gold, urges push for LA 2028 qualification

Indian Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday congratulated the Indian men’s and women’s lacrosse teams for their gold-winning performances at the Asian Lacrosse Games and urged them to aim for qualification at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics .

Speaking to the teams, Mandaviya said, “Lacrosse is an upcoming big sport for India. This was your first major international exposure and you have already brought home medals. Now the focus should be on working harder, gaining more exposure, and making the country proud by aiming for qualification at LA 2028.”

Lacrosse , a native North American team sport , is played using a long-handled stick with a netted head to catch, pass, and shoot a rubber ball into the rival goal. It made its Olympic debut in 1904 as a medal event, appeared again in 1908, and was later included as a demonstration sport in 1928, 1932, and 1948. After a long absence, the sport will return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games .

At the Asian Lacrosse Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , in February, India delivered a dominant performance, winning gold in both men’s and women’s six-a-side events —the same format that will be used in Los Angeles. The men’s team defeated Iraq , while the women’s team overcame Pakistan in their respective finals.

The women’s team , which made its international debut in 2024, and the men’s team , launched in 2025, include athletes from across India, covering Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh . Their rapid rise highlights India’s growing presence in Asian and global lacrosse .

India’s upcoming assignments include the third Asian Lacrosse Games in Chengdu, China , in April, and the Asia-Pacific Sixes Lacrosse Championships in Australia this October. Both events form part of the qualification pathway for LA 2028 , where approximately 100 teams worldwide will compete for six men’s and six women’s Olympic spots . Continental championships, held from September to December 2026, will determine teams advancing to the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships , featuring the top 16 men’s and top 16 women’s teams globally .

Mandaviya’s felicitation reflects the government’s support for emerging sports in India and underlines the teams’ potential to make a mark at the Olympic stage for the first time in over a century.