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Squash Makes A Worldwide Racket
For Olympic Bid
Squash
2016 Day produced a resounding
rallying cry all over the globe to support Squash's bid for inclusion in the
2016 Olympic Games.
In a
worldwide festival of Squash, the day began with rock star Phil Buscke of
The Datsuns performing a bungee jump live on TV from Auckland Harbour Bridge
in New Zealand and continued with an amazing array of events as Squash 2016 Day
moved through the various time-zones.
Leading
professionals lent their support to the bid by joining in hundreds of
Olympic-themed events, all taking place on the same day, Saturday 23 May.
The biggest
event of the day was held in the USA at the Apawamis Club in Rye,
New York, where squash legends Jonathon Power, David Palmer and
John White took part in a 100-a-side Battle of the Border
fixture.
The trio –
all former world number ones, from Canada, Australia and Scotland, respectively
- were joined by US number ones Julian Illingworth and Natalie
Grainger, plus fellow pros from around the world including Colombian
Bernardo Samper; Brazilian Rafael Alarcon; Australians Raj Nanda,
Ryan Cuskelly, Mark Price, Kasey Brown, Lisa Camilleri
and Narelle Krizek; Scotsman Stuart Crawford; and English players
Phil Barker, Suzie Pierrepont, Chris Walker, John
Russell and Mike Ferreira.
World No2
Grainger, a World Squash Federation 2016 Ambassador, said: "It was
fantastic to see so many leading players supporting the event and more than 500
people came through the club's doors on the day. The event raised money for the
bid, showcased squash in the most positive way and helped to raise the profile
of the sport."
From the
professionals of North America, through Europe and Asia to the townships of
Soweto in South Africa, thousands of children were entertained to
free coaching lessons and a vivid introduction to squash on a very special day
for the sport which boasts 20 million players across all five continents.
In Hong
Kong the 9th World Squash Coaching & Development Conference kicked
off with speakers and delegates welcoming the Hon. Timothy Fok, IOC
Member and President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong,
China, who delivered a most encouraging speech to all the participants of the
conference in support of World Squash Day.
Delegates
included WSF Vice-President Gerard DeCourcy and Hong Kong Squash Chairman
David Mui - as well leading figures from the sport including
legendary Australians Geoff Hunt, the eight-time British Open
champion, and record five times World Open champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald.
Rio,
Chicago and Tokyo - three of the cities bidding to host the 2016
Olympics - held special events throughout the day. As well as open days at
every squash club, enthusiasts took to the streets in numbers to be photographed
waving their Squash For 2016 banners at prime locations in each
city.
The 'Squash
For 2016' cry rang out in all 14 States of Malaysia where more than 53
squash venues at squash centres, clubs, colleges, universities and schools -
even Armed Forces centres and Police Squash Clubs - joined in this major
effort.
The
national level programme started at the Royal Lake Club, where Squash
first took root in Malaysia – and where dignitaries assembled that morning
included WSF Patron and IOC Member HRH Prince Tunku Imran; Dato’ A.
Sani Karim, President of the Asian Squash Federation and Squash Racquets
Association of Malaysia; Dato’ Mohd Shukri Hussin, CEO of CIMB
Foundation, SRAM’s Sports Partner; and two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary
General of the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
A
16-vehicle motorcade, supported by four police outriders, made its way to seven
iconic buildings in Kuala Lumpur (including the Parliament House,
National Museum, Sultan Samad Building, City Hall, Royal Selangor Club, KL Tower
and Petronas Twin Towers) where group photographs were taken.
The day
rounded off in sensational style with a press conference at which CIMB
Investment Bank announced a 4 Million Malaysian Ringgit sponsorship deal
with SRAM to extend the current agreement by a further two years.
"Never in
the history of squash in Malaysia had we witnessed the entire squash fraternity
nationwide coming together to support a worthy cause," commented K. Sivanesen,
Hon. Secretary of SRA Malaysia. "All through the length and breadth of the
country, Squash For 2016 Day was a day of squash festivities, fun and joy."
The
Japan Squash Association hosted a press conference in Tokyo attended by more
than 20 members of the National media.
Organiser
Miyuki Adachi said: "The coverage afterwards in various newspapers
described the launch of the JSA's efforts to help with the bid to have Squash
included in the 2016 Olympics.
"As well as
the conference, a squash clinic gave the journalists the opportunity to try out
the game on court with some of the top players in Japan. All in all, a very
successful and enjoyable day."
Other
open-air events took place in India (with photographs outside the Taj
Mahal and the Gateway to India), South Africa (Table Mountain) and
London, where enterprising student James Poole showed his passion for
Squash by hiring a London bus to tour the city and stop off for photographs at
the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Houses
of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace.
Leading the
party on the iconic red London double-decker bus were three of the sport's
up-and-coming stars - Joe Lee, the British U19 champion, Charles
Sharpes, the British U17 champion, and Charlie Lee, the England U10
number one - all of whom could be in their prime by 2016.
"I was
delighted to have been involved in World Squash Day and the campaign to get
Squash its rightful place in the Olympic Games," said Joe Lee. "The sport
deserves the global recognition and extra benefits that would come from Olympic
inclusion - and it would be a huge honour for me to, one day, compete for my
country in the world's greatest sporting event."
Younger
brother Charlie added: "I am happy to be a part of helping squash get in the
Olympics. It's a great game and deserves to be included. I would love to
compete in The Olympic Games and winning a medal would be amazing!"
In Cape
Town, South Africa, Villager Squash Club hosted a "Last Man Standing"
tournament. It turned out that the tournament should have been titled "Last
Person Standing" since a woman, Siyoli Lusaseni, was crowned the
Champion, after five hours of squash and 24 games with different squash
enthusiasts!
Fittingly,
Siyoli is an Olympic Ambassador for the World Squash Federation. She said: "It
was a brilliant day for the game of Squash and a wonderful picture was taken of
a group of squash enthusiasts at the Cape Town V and A Waterfront with the
backdrop of Table Mountain."
Another
huge event in terms of participation was in Mumbai, where Indian ace
Ritwik Bhattacharya was the star turn in a programme of State League
fixtures with 128 players from Maharashtra between the ages of eight and 65.
Illustrating Squash's cultural diversity, Iran and Nepal held
massive press conferences, arranged national TV coverage and invited prominent
IOC guests.
In
Tehran, more than 600 guests of the Iran Squash Federation visited
the historical Sadabad palace with special guests including Mr. Ali Abadi,
Head of the country's Physical Education Organisation and President of
International Olympic Committee of Iran, and Dr M. SH. Malek Zadeh,
President of Iran Squash Federation.
Women's
world No1 Nicol David, also a WSF Olympic Ambassador, hosted an open day
at her training base in Amsterdam, while back home in Penang, Malaysia, she
raised $10,000 towards the Olympic Bid by auctioning off her collection of
clothing and rackets which she had worn and used to win major tournaments during
her illustrious career.
Without
doubt the most exhausted supporters of the event were at the Leñadura Country
Club at the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas, and at Thurles
Squash Club, County Tipperary, Ireland, where club players held
24-hour squash marathons.
Mexico's
world No16 Samantha Teran, another Olympic Ambassador, headed the
celebrations in her homeland which featured activities at many of Mexico's most
important clubs, and concluding with a gathering at the Angel of Independence
in the centre of the capital.
A special
tournament to celebrate Squash 2016 Day in Sao Paulo, Brazil, attracted
not only hosts of squash enthusiasts to the Clube Paineiras do Morumby,
but also the famous Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury.
At the end
of an exhausting, but hugely successful weekend, World Squash Day founder
Alan Thatcher said: "The event was massively supported by national
federations, and some extraordinary individuals came to the fore to organise
amazing events in so many different countries.
"The energy
and commitment from so many sources was almost overwhelming, and clearly
illustrated the passion we all have to see Squash gain its rightful place in the
Olympic Games."
Visit
www.worldsquashday.com
to view all the above images - and much more
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