Squash On IOC Shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games

24 April 2008
http://www.wispa.net/NM/anmviewer.asp?a=904&z=1

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Squash On IOC Shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games

Following 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 included on the shortlist of sports under consideration for the 2106 Olympic Games.

In a letter to Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi congratulated and thanked the WSF President "most sincerely for the tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire for IOC Recognised International Federations".

Squash has been selected along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Softball.

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."

Squash is primarily a ‘participant sport’, as the vast majority of people associated with it actually play, leading to real health/recreational benefits to society.

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.

Squash is also a “high value” sport for Organising Committees as facilities required for an Olympic event are both economical and temporary. TV production technology has developed positively in the past few years - and Squash is now regularly featured on TV in more than 125 countries across all continents Web streaming has taken off over the past three years: The last two World Championships each reached audiences in over 75 countries while PSALIVE.tv has over 30,000 paid subscribers in only two years of operation