2016
Olympic Games
Squash has been included on
the shortlist of sports
Following extensive global campaigning by the World
Squash Federation since the sport narrowly missed out being added to the
London 2012 programme, the WSF has received news from the IOC that Squash
has been included on the shortlist of sports under consideration for the
2016 Olympic Games.
In a letter to Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi
congratulated and thanked the WSF President "most sincerely for the
tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire
for IOC Recognised International Federations".
Squash has been selected along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller Sports,
Rugby and Softball.
Played by around 15 million enthusiasts on all five continents, Squash has
been vigorously campaigning to join the Olympic Games programme for many
years.
In 2005, Squash was voted into the London 2012 Olympic Games ahead of
Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Golf - but then failed to achieve the
two-thirds majority required to become ratified as an Olympic sport.
"I am confident that the reason why Squash was chosen ahead of other
sports in 2005 is down to its image as an intensely athletic, healthy,
universal, inclusive and exciting world sport," said the WSF President.
"This image is the result of decades of positive development."
Khan was delighted to receive the IOC letter, only days after being the
final torchbearer in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad, the
capital of his home country Pakistan.
"This is truly excellent news for our sport," said one of the sport's most
distinguished players, with six World Open titles and record ten British
Open trophies to his name. "We will be working very hard to convince the
IOC that Squash deserves a place on the Olympic Programme."
Following the 2005 IOC meeting in Singapore, the WSF lobbied for a change
in the Olympic charter which would reduce from two-thirds to a simple
majority the voting policy for ratification as an Olympic sport - thus
aligning the threshold with the existing policy for Olympic sports. This
decision was duly taken at the IOC session in Guatemala in July 2007.
Squash presents a compelling case for inclusion on the Olympic Programme
after experiencing significant global growth since being voted the No1
sport at the 2005 IOC Session in Singapore:
•Squash is primarily a ‘participant sport’, as the vast majority of people
associated with it actually play, leading to real health/recreational
benefits to society
•The sport is played by an estimated 15 million people in over 155
countries - with more than a quarter million registered athletes, plus
over 600 professional athletes.
•Juniors are an area of rapid growth: The 2008 World Men's Junior
Championships in Switzerland boast a record entry. The WSF has not only
recently decided to make its World Junior Championships an annual event
due to demand, but will also create a new Juniors Committee and a global
ranking system. The flourishing European Junior Circuit featured 20
tournaments in 17 different countries in the 2006/07 season, with a record
number of entries.
•Squash enjoys a solid spread of talent: All continents were represented
in the top six positions at the 2007 World Men’s Team Championship and top
11 at the World Women’s Team Championship in 2006.
•The WSF now has 138 Member Nation Federations (up from 125 in 2004) and
more than 80% of all MNFs organise an Annual National Championship across
gender and all age groups
•Women account for approximately 30% of all recreational players and 37%
of professional athletes. Furthermore the WSF board boasts a 60/40
male/female breakdown.
•The sport is played in over 20 multi-sport Games including the World
Games, All-Africa Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth
Games (in which it has been named as a 'core sport'), World University
Championships and World Masters Games. This compares to just two events in
1991!
•Squash is also a “high value” sport for Organising Committees as
facilities required for an Olympic event are both economical and
temporary.
•TV production technology has developed positively in the past few years -
and Squash is now regularly featured on TV in more than 125 countries
across all continents
•Web streaming has taken off over the past three years: The last two World
Championships each reached audiences in over 75 countries while PSALIVE.tv
has over 30,000 paid subscribers in only two years of operation
Louise Pickford
England Squash Coaching Co-ordinator
Office: 0161 438 4318
Following extensive global campaigning by the World Squash Federation
since the sport narrowly missed out being added to the London 2012
programme, the WSF has received news from the IOC that Squash has been
included on the shortlist of sports under consideration for the 2016
Olympic Games.
In a letter to Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi
congratulated and thanked the WSF President "most sincerely for the
tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire
for IOC Recognised International Federations".
Squash has been selected along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller Sports,
Rugby and Softball.
Played by around 15 million enthusiasts on all five continents, Squash has
been vigorously campaigning to join the Olympic Games programme for many
years.
In 2005, Squash was voted into the London 2012 Olympic Games ahead of
Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Golf - but then failed to achieve the
two-thirds majority required to become ratified as an Olympic sport.
"I am confident that the reason why Squash was chosen ahead of other
sports in 2005 is down to its image as an intensely athletic, healthy,
universal, inclusive and exciting world sport," said the WSF President.
"This image is the result of decades of positive development."
Khan was delighted to receive the IOC letter, only days after being the
final torchbearer in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad, the
capital of his home country Pakistan.
"This is truly excellent news for our sport," said one of the sport's most
distinguished players, with six World Open titles and record ten British
Open trophies to his name. "We will be working very hard to convince the
IOC that Squash deserves a place on the Olympic Programme."
Following the 2005 IOC meeting in Singapore, the WSF lobbied for a change
in the Olympic charter which would reduce from two-thirds to a simple
majority the voting policy for ratification as an Olympic sport - thus
aligning the threshold with the existing policy for Olympic sports. This
decision was duly taken at the IOC session in Guatemala in July 2007.
Squash presents a compelling case for inclusion on the Olympic Programme
after experiencing significant global growth since being voted the No1
sport at the 2005 IOC Session in Singapore:
•Squash is primarily a ‘participant sport’, as the vast majority of people
associated with it actually play, leading to real health/recreational
benefits to society
•The sport is played by an estimated 15 million people in over 155
countries - with more than a quarter million registered athletes, plus
over 600 professional athletes.
•Juniors are an area of rapid growth: The 2008 World Men's Junior
Championships in Switzerland boast a record entry. The WSF has not only
recently decided to make its World Junior Championships an annual event
due to demand, but will also create a new Juniors Committee and a global
ranking system. The flourishing European Junior Circuit featured 20
tournaments in 17 different countries in the 2006/07 season, with a record
number of entries.
•Squash enjoys a solid spread of talent: All continents were represented
in the top six positions at the 2007 World Men’s Team Championship and top
11 at the World Women’s Team Championship in 2006.
•The WSF now has 138 Member Nation Federations (up from 125 in 2004) and
more than 80% of all MNFs organise an Annual National Championship across
gender and all age groups
•Women account for approximately 30% of all recreational players and 37%
of professional athletes. Furthermore the WSF board boasts a 60/40
male/female breakdown.
•The sport is played in over 20 multi-sport Games including the World
Games, All-Africa Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth
Games (in which it has been named as a 'core sport'), World University
Championships and World Masters Games. This compares to just two events in
1991!
•Squash is also a “high value” sport for Organising Committees as
facilities required for an Olympic event are both economical and
temporary.
•TV production technology has developed positively in the past few years -
and Squash is now regularly featured on TV in more than 125 countries
across all continents
•Web streaming has taken off over the past three years: The last two World
Championships each reached audiences in over 75 countries while PSALIVE.tv
has over 30,000 paid subscribers in only two years of operation
Louise Pickford
England Squash Coaching Co-ordinator
Office: 0161 438 4318
Web: www.englandsquash.com
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