Squash Looks To The Future After Olympic Disappointment

After being voted onto the programme of the 2012 Olympic Games by achieving more than 50% of the IOC members’ votes, Squash suffered a cruel blow today in Singapore when the IOC decided against replacing the two sports dropped earlier in the day from the London Games programme.

 

But World Squash Federation Chief Executive Christian Leighton believes that the positive responses received by Squash in Singapore will ultimately lead to realisation of the sport’s Olympic dream.

 

Earlier in the day, IOC members voted softball and baseball off the 2012 programme, leaving room for two successors to be chosen from squash, rugby sevens, rollers sports, karate and golf – sports which had been short-listed for consideration in an IOC announcement last September.

 

With more than 50% of the votes in the first poll amongst IOC members, Squash was immediately added to the 2012 programme – later joined by karate.  However, when the vote came for each sport to be “recognised as an Olympic sport” – for which two thirds of the vote were needed – neither achieved the required proportion.  Squash gained 63 votes, seven short of the 70 required!

 

Squash’s Olympic campaign in Singapore has been led by WSF President Jahangir Khan, the record ten-times British Open champion who earlier conceded that an Olympic breakthrough would rank as his proudest achievement in the sport.  Khan has been joined in the final days of campaigning by Malaysia’s Asian champion and world No3 Nicol David, together with Christian Leighton and the Federation's Emeritus President Susie Simcock.

 

Leighton paid tribute to the sport’s united bid – and cited the positive signals for the sport:  “The whole squash community has done the sport proud, and I am particularly grateful to the contribution made by all the WSF member national federations, who provided highly-effective face-to-face lobbying in many cases.

 

“We are also indebted to the efforts made by our leading athletes, particularly Nicol David who has taken time out from her preparations for next week’s World Games to be with us here in Singapore,” said the WSF chief, who also highlighted the support provided by both the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association (WISPA) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

 

“This is a continuing process and, whilst there will be widespread disappointment within the squash community around the world today, we must work on all the positive aspects on what has been achieved over the past few years and continue to gain more support from IOC members in the future,” added Leighton.

 

“We were so very, very, close – but I have no doubt that we will get into the Olympic Games in the near future, and that will continue to be our main drive,” Leighton concluded.

 

Susie Simcock also praised the sport’s collective effort:  “I’m really proud of our team, including our athletes and our member nations, who have pulled together magnificently in this whole process.  The fact that we ultimately failed – so narrowly, and after two sports were removed from the programme – is devastating, but people have undoubtedly recognised that our sport deserves this opportunity.”

 

Gawain Briars, Chief Executive of the PSA, commented:  “Jahangir has admirably led his team and Christian Leighton has worked flat out since his recent appointment.  Let us not forget all the members of the WSF Management Committee who have pursued the cause - as well as the unstinting efforts of Susie Simcock, Ted Wallbutton and Lorraine Harding, all of whom deserve our gratitude along with many other federation members.

 

“Squash has never come so close.  Next time we really must succeed,” added Briars.

 

There was also reaction from WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley:  “We are a truly international sport which has deserved a place.  The battle has been lost but I am sure that we will win the Olympic fight in the end.  Our athletes would have been proud to be part of the Games, and while it hasn’t happened yet, it must surely be only a matter of time before we earn the right to take part.”

 

Ted Wallbutton, Chief Executive of the WSF for fourteen years until his retirement at the beginning of this year, added:  "Squash has come from nowhere in Olympic terms to become the first placed sport outside of the programme.  It is an amazing achievement and far from failing we should be proud that we won the race, but failed to collect the prize."

 

Nick Rider, Chief Executive of England Squash, said:  “This is enormously disappointing news.   We have always believed – and continue to do so - that squash can make a real contribution to the Olympic movement and are puzzled by the decision not to bring the number of sports back up to 28. 

 

“The London bid and squash was a dream ticket for us – but we will continue to work with the WSF to achieve our goal.   

 

“Our hearty congratulations go to the London 2012 team – yesterday’s terrible events in the capital put things into perspective,  but we all know that sport plays an important part in  bringing people together.   London will put on a great show in 2012 and we support them wholeheartedly.”

 

Thus, disappointingly, the racket sport which has its origins in both Fleet Prison and Harrow School in London in the 1800s will not make the hoped-for triumphant ‘return’ to the British capital two centuries later.