|
World Squash Federation
(WSF) President Jacques Fontaine believes
that squash's recent Showcase at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games
2018 will have left a lasting impression on both the population of
Buenos Aires and the Olympic family following a successful week of
action that saw over 25,000 people witness squash in the flesh.
Over 2,000 children tasted
their first experience of squash during the week through introductory
sessions on a miniature outdoor activation court - while the Showcase
all-glass court, situated in the heart of Technopolis Park, attracted
almost 5,000 visitors each day with many witnessing squash for the first
time in their lives.
Joining the thousands of
locals to watch the squash showcase were high-profile IOC members such
as HRH Tunku Imran, President of the Commonwealth Games
Federation, and Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi,
who had the chance to step onto court and experience the sport
first-hand (pictured below) - an experience shared by hundreds of lucky
locals who were given the chance to play a suite of new interactive
games on the centrepiece court.
"The Squash Showcase in
Buenos Aires has exceeded all expectations and we are delighted with the
reaction from the local population, the participating athletes and the
wider IOC family," said Fontaine.
"Along with enjoying
what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many, our athletes
embraced the local spirit and it was fantastic to see them engaging with
young fans and to see so many smiles on the young schoolchildren's
faces.
"To have so many
children step onto a court for the first time is very encouraging for
the development of the sport in Argentina. The number of people stopping
to watch in awe at both the athleticism of our athletes and the
eye-catching displays of the interactive court have shown us that, as a
sport, squash can offer something different.
"The feedback we have
received so far has been universally positive and we now look forward to
working with all parties to show that squash can replicate this success
at Paris 2024."
In parallel to the
Showcase event, squash was also represented amongst wider Olympic
initiatives during the Youth Olympics, with Maria Toorpakai Wazir,
a professional player from Pakistan, sharing her remarkable story during
a panel session at the inaugural Olympism in Action Forum
on the same day that Shahd Bshara, a young squash player from
Israel, was chosen as one of four athletes from around the world to form
the first Sport at the Service of Humanity Young Leaders Mentoring
Program.
Inspired by their
experiences at the event, all 38 athletes participating in the squash
showcase (pictured above) also contributed to the on-going
SquashFORWARD initiative by participating in sessions led by
Mexico's PanAm Games Gold Medal winner Samantha Teran - sharing
their thoughts and opinions on a host of topics covering all aspects of
the game.
Their feedback will be
combined in the following months with that collected during previous
sessions conducted over the summer to formulate a forward-looking
roadmap.
Colombian Squash
Ambassador Luis Mancilla signs squash balls for eager fans
|
