The team behind Squash 2016 have launched a dedicated website www.squash2016.info to promote the bid and enable individuals to get behind the sport’s campaign for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games.
The site gives people several ways to get involved with backing the bid, including message boards, online votes and official Squash 2016 merchandise. The website is packed with useful information and will track the progress of the bid from now until the final IOC vote in Copenhagen in October. Although the public won’t make the final decision, its support is important and with over 20 million people worldwide playing squash in 175 countries, that support is expected to be widespread.
Alex Gough, Chief Executive of PSA and bid team member, said: “Having a dedicated site where people can find all the information they need is a really important step in this process, and shows how committed we are to the bid. We have a lot of important things to shout about and the site is a great vehicle for that.”
Also in the technological field, the World Squash Federation (WSF) has enjoyed a massive increase in social networking activity relating to squash. Facebook, for example, has over 500 groups dedicated to squash and the Squash 2016 bid.
Bid team member Natalie Grainger, the World No4 fresh from ending world number one Nicol David’s incredible 17-month unbeaten run in the women’s final of the CIMB KL Open on Saturday, said: “Social networking sites are so influential today. We’re delighted that so many people are using them to support us, and Facebook is a great way to get young people involved in a sport they clearly enjoy!”