|
15-May-05:
Squash & the Olympics:
a Perfect Match
Squash has a lot to offer to the Olympic Games. WSF
Chief Executive and Secretary General Christian
Leighton explains.
Squash is going through a very exciting period.
The sport is growing. The number of national
federations affiliated to the World Squash Federation
(WSF) has doubled in the past 15 years to 125 – and
new applications continue to arrive. The professional
tours are growing in events and prize money. And the
number of worldwide players now exceeds 15 million.
Squash is growing and people are noticing.
This is why the IOC has determined that Squash “be
studied further with a view to inclusion into the
Olympic Games programme for 2012”.
There is no doubt that Squash belongs in the Olympic
Games.
Firstly, Squash is all about sheer athleticism. At the
top level, Squash requires a remarkable combination of
power, speed, flexibility, agility and instant
reflexes. And let’s not forget Squash’s trademark –
outstanding endurance, both muscular and
cardiovascular. And the Olympic Games are all about
superior athletic performance.
For Squash’s top performers, the Olympic Games would
constitute the pinnacle event in their career.
Competing in the Games would be the highest honour and
the top priority. Accordingly, the WSF provided a top
athlete guarantee to the IOC as a key element within
its bid for 2012. Another perfect match: the IOC wants
the world’s best athletes at the Olympic Games and
Squash’s outstanding athletes want to be in the
Olympic Games!
Secondly, Squash has developed into a universal and
increasingly popular sport. Squash is played in over
150 countries spread over Africa, the Americas, Asia,
Europe and Oceania.
A telling exercise of Squash’s universality would be
to design a World Cup in which teams are entered as
continents. Let’s see. A Men’s event would have today:
-
Thierry Lincou World #
1 Europe (France)
-
David Palmer World # 2
Oceania (Australia)
-
Amr Shabana World # 5
Africa (Egypt)
-
Jonathon Power World #
6 Americas (Canada)
-
Shahid Zaman World # 15
Asia (Pakistan)
And what about the Women’s event?
-
Rachel Grinham World #
1 Oceania (Australia)
-
Vanessa Atkinson World
# 2 Europe (Netherlands)
-
Nicol David World # 4
Asia (Malaysia)
-
Natalie Grainger World
# 5 Americas (USA)
-
Omneya Abdel Kawy World
# 9 Africa (Egypt)
The grass roots efforts have also paid off. Emerging
Squash nations now include Colombia, Mexico and the
USA in the Americas, Kenya and Nigeria in Africa,
China and India in Asia, Finland, Italy and Russia in
Europe and the smaller islands in Oceania continue to
receive coaching and mentoring from Australia and New
Zealand.
Squash is played in all major regional games (World
Games, All Africa Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth
Games, Panamerican Games) and a whole range of
sub-regional games – the latest of which is the
Women’s Islamic Games!
The Olympic Games is a global celebration of sport,
culture and fraternity. Squash’s global appeal is well
suited to build onto this concept.
Thirdly, the IOC is keen in keeping the costs of
running the Olympic Games under control. The athlete
cap of 10,500 is a direct consequence. And the
Programme Commission has also taken into account venue
and TV production costs at the Games.
This is where Squash’s bid comes into full bloom!
With a proposed programme of 64 athletes (0.6% of
cap), cost effective venue options (shared
indoor/outdoor that only require two all-glass courts)
and very low TV production costs, Squash’s proposal is
quite simply value for money: a high-quality addition
with very reasonable costs.
The decision is to be made at the 117th IOC Assembly
in Singapore on July 8th, 2005. Squash will be there
to make sure that all 117 voting IOC members fully
understand our high value proposition and plans for
2012.
In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to
develop the wonderful sport of Squash with your help.
And within this goal, I look forward to a perfect
match: Squash’s top athletes battling for Gold at the
Olympic Games 2012.
Christian Leighton
Secretary General & Chief Executive
World Squash Federation
|
|
