Squash on IOC shortlist for 2016 Olympic Games

LONDON—The International Olympic Committee has included Squash on the short-list of sports under consideration for the 2016 Olympic Games.
This has been the outcome of 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 short-listed for the 2106 Olympic Games along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller sports, Rugby and Softball.
In a letter to former world champion and President,WSF Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi congratulated and thanked Jahangir “most sincerely for the tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire for IOC Recognised International Federations”. 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.
“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:
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.

—Agencies