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24-Apr-08:
Squash On IOC Shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games
Press Coverage
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
Press Coverage
Squash on IOC shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games
Associated Press of Pakistan
Squash on IOC
shortlist for 2016 Olympics
Dawn, Pakistan
Squash on shortlist for 2016 Olympics: Jahangir
News
International, Pakistan
Golf,
baseball among candidates for 2016 Olympics
Los
Angeles Times
Softball
makes it Olympic pitch
Toronto Globe & Mail
7
sports considered for 2016 Olympics
International Herald Tribune/ Associated Press
Squash
shortlisted for possible inclusion in Olympics
The
Hindu, India
Seven
Sports Including Softball, Baseball, Golf Are Being Considered For
2016 Olympics
AHN,
London |
