Squash and the Olympics:
the Key Points ...

• Outstanding athleticism

  • Squash requires a remarkable combination of speed, power, agility, flexibility and reflexes but the trademark is outstanding endurance - cardiovascular and muscular

  • Squash was voted # 1 healthiest sport by Forbes magazine in a technical survey that included measures of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and calories burnt/30 min, beating other 9 sports

  •  Squash is a clean, healthy sport, compliant with WADA and virtually 100% drug-free

• Best player guarantee

  • WSF has provided a top player guarantee to the IOC which means that all top players in the world will compete in the 2012 Olympic Games if selected by their NOC’s

• Iconic Locations

  • Squash can offer memorable and photogenic venue options like Trafalgar Square, the Eiffel Tower, Times Square, Prado Museum or the Red Square

  • Squash takes the Olympic Games to the citizens rather than convince the citizens to attend an Olympic Venue

• High value addition
  high quality event with very low cost/complexity

  • Squash brings a highly athletic sport/event to the programme at very low costs

  • Squash requires extremely low costs on TV production (well under $50k US/day competition)

  • Squash requires no venue as the two all-glass courts may be set up on almost any location

  • Squash only adds 64 athletes (0.6% of athlete cap of 10,500) and 14 officials to the programme

  • The Squash event adds little complexity to the programme as following the matches is very simple (only a scoreboard and two large TV monitors are required)

• Universality

  • WSF has 125 member nations

  • Member federations are extremely active (94% hold a Men’s national championships and 86% a Women’s event)

• Growing popularity

  • Squash is played in over 150 countries

  • Many nations continue to apply for WSF membership every year

• Rich history and tradition
  and also a forward looking sport

  • Squash was invented in 1830

  • WSF has existed since 1967

  • The first World Championships for Squash were in 1967 (but the British Open was “de-facto” our World event since 1922)

  • Squash is played in all major regional Games (World Games, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games, Asian Games and PanAmerican Games) and most sub-regional Games

  • Squash is a forward-looking sport which brings on advances in technology to move the sport into more regions (e.g. high altitude ball), introduce kids (e.g Mini Squash) and provide a better TV product (e.g. all-glass courts, white ball)