There’s a chance you’re reading this and surprised to find out that squash isn’t already an Olympic game. However, the sport has been regularly featured at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games since 1998. Squash has also been a regular sport at the Pan American Games since 1995. Professional squash players and associations have lobbied for many years for the sport to be accepted into the Olympic Games, sadly with no success so far. The game narrowly missed out of being instated for the 2012 London games and for the 2016 Rio games missed out to golf and rugby sevens. For the 2020 Olympic Games squash missed out to wrestling and now have their sights set on being accepted for the 2024 games.
There are a vast number of reasons that squash should be an Olympic sport and at the very top of the list is the fact that all 185 Olympic countries participate in 185 countries and five continents have each produced a World Champion. The sport has been criticised in the past for not being run well enough and not being spectator or TV friendly as it was practically impossible for the viewer to see what was going on. This seems like a feeble argument when ice hockey is well established as an Olympic sport despite it being virtually impossible to spot the puck at the best of times. Squash as a sport has undergone a major facelift in recent years with a superbly run tour in some of the most stunning venues and locations for its numerous worldwide tournaments and the courts now designed to make viewing as easy as possible whether you’re watching at home or in the flesh.
The 2016 World Open Squash Championship is set to take place from the 30th October to the 6th November in Cairo, Egypt. (Remember the mention of stunning locations?) You can check out the odds for squash betting now and then tune in to see if reigning champion Grégory Gaultier can successfully defend his title. On his route to the 2015 title he beat Englishman, and former World #1, James Willstrop.
Willstrop wrote a diary account from January 2010 – February 2011 of his year on the pro squash tour with candid honesty and published as the book Shot and A Ghost. The book is a must-read for any want-to-be squash player and contributed massively in raising awareness for the game and the incredible demands placed upon those who compete at the highest level and the commitment and professionalism they must display.
Not that we’re medal hunting of course but the fact of the matter is as a nation we are good at squash and this could be a huge opportunity for Great Britain to grab some medals. Admittedly, our current top players, who include Willstrop and Nick Matthews probably won’t still be playing by 2024 but there’s no reason they can’t inspire the next generation to gold.
Furthermore there has been some complaints about golf making the Olympics ahead of squash. Many feel that winning gold should be the pinnacle for a sport that is included in the Olympics, for golf that is not the case as they have far more prestigious prizes. A similar case has been made for tennis with their four Grandslams being of a higher calibre than winning Olympic gold. Speaking of tennis, Roger Federer, the most decorated tennis player of all time is a huge advocate for squash being included in the Olympic Games.
