I helped cricket get into 2028 LA Olympics: Garcetti

U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti speaking at the Fulbright House New Delhi on Jan. 13. / Pranavi Sharma

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti underscored the growing prominence of cricket in his country and his important contribution to elevate the sport in an emotional farewell speech at the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi on Jan. 13.

"Years from now, when nobody remembers anything else that I did as ambassador, Indians will remember that I helped put cricket into the Olympics for LA in 2028,” Garcetti, whose term is set to conclude in January, told a gathering of diplomats, scholars, and guests at Fulbright House New Delhi.

Highlighting sports diplomacy, Garcetti discussed cricket's growing importance in the United States, highlighting the country's hosting of the T20 World Cup and the Los Angeles Knight Riders' championship win under Shahrukh Khan's ownership.

Reflecting on his diplomatic journey, Garcetti spoke passionately about the "four Ps" framework guiding the US-India relationship: preserving peace, pursuing joint prosperity, protecting the planet, and promoting common people.

Garcetti, who first visited New Delhi at the age of 14, shared that his tenure as Ambassador has been profoundly moving. "Standing here today is somewhat bittersweet. In the blink of an eye, this humbling opportunity to serve my beloved United States of America as ambassador to this exceptional country is finally nearing its end.”

According to Garcetti, one of the best parts of traveling across India was meeting people in every single state who told him about the time they had been in Colorado or California, or the town they went to in Iowa or Maryland, where they met someone who they still counted as a friend, and how that trip changed their lives. 

The ambassador stressed on expanding such people-to-people ties between the two countries and emphasized the critical role of immigration in strengthening bilateral relations.

Garcetti highlighted the milestones achieved during his tenure, including record trade figures, defense collaborations, and a significant rise in educational exchanges. "I'm proud that since becoming ambassador, India has become the number one source of higher education students in the United States. Now, 23 percent of all foreign students studying at American universities are proudly Indian students, enriching our universities and bringing some of the brightest minds into our classrooms."

He recounted how moments from his extensive travels in India left a lasting impact. "From meeting with health activists in the jungle villages of Nagaland, laughing with my daughter with first-in-their-family female students at a school on the edge of the desert in Rajasthan, sipping chai with brave soldiers at 17,000 feet in the cold winter of Ladakh, or bathing in the warm waters of Kanyakumari, our time together has touched my heart more deeply than I could have imagined."

Garcetti also praised collaborative efforts in cultural preservation, mentioning the landmark US-India Cultural Property Agreement aimed at preventing the illegal trade of cultural artifacts and simplifying the return of looted antiquities. "Since 2016, the United States has returned 578 priceless cultural artifacts to India, with more than half returned during Prime Minister Modi's official state visit just last year."

Throughout his address, Garcetti underscored the profound cultural exchanges between the two nations. From collaborations with Indian filmmakers and artists to the shared love for sports, he emphasized how people-to-people connections were the heart of diplomacy. “We're filling theaters in America with Indian movies, and India remains one of the most faithful overseas audiences for Hollywood blockbusters."

On a more serious note, he addressed the critical issue of visa processing, acknowledging the surge in demand for travel to the US. "Since becoming ambassador, we've increased our visas by more than 60 percent, and eliminated wait times for all visa types except for first-time visitor visas, where the wait time is down 75 percent from our peak. Still much further to go, but a great accomplishment."

Concluding his speech, Garcetti left the audience with a call to strengthen the US-India relationship further. " Because through education and through culture, through sports and through travel, we connect not just two countries, but two people together, two loving people whose hearts have never been more aligned."