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25/04/2008
WSF NEWS
Squash On IOC Shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games
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 2016 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."
Khan was delighted to receive the IOC letter, only days after being the
final torchbearer in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad,
the capital of his home country Pakistan.
"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:
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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.
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The sport is played in over 20 multi-sport
Games including the World Games, All-Africa Games, Asian Games, Pan American
Games, Commonwealth Games (in which it has been named as a 'core sport'),
World University Championships and World Masters Games. This compares to just
two events in 1991!
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