Squash getting close to realising Olympic dreams

Bengaluru, September 8: Squash is getting closer to realising its Olympic dreams after its inclusion at the 2018 Youth Games to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina was confirmed.

The sport has made many attempts to get into the Olympic Movement and it ran an extensive campaign spearheaded by leading lights Ramy Ashour and Nicol David. Even tennis great Roger Federer had endorsed the campaign.

India's national champions Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa have also been advocating the game's inclusion in Olympics for a long time.

But despite all that it was overlooked both for both 2016 (Rio) and 2020 (Tokyo) Summer Games.

Despite the setbacks, the aficionados and stars have not lost hope and have been pushing hard for gaining Olympic status and the inclusion in the Youth Games is seen as a harbinger of things to come.

🚨NEWS🚨#squash to feature at 2018 Youth Olympics!👍👌

We're a showcase sport for @BuenosAires2018 @youtholympics

👉https://t.co/rPrhTQEv6k pic.twitter.com/qe3ElFkCbk

— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) July 6, 2017

"It's an exciting moment for squash and our young players who will represent our sport in Buenos Aires," said World Squash Federation (WSF) Vice President Pablo Serna, who led a delegation representing the sport in the Pan American region at a meeting with the Organising Committee of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, in which the sport's debut in the event was formalised.

The first meeting to discuss the logistics and presentation of squash as a showcase sport at the Games in October next year took place at the Argentine Olympic Committee offices in Buenos Aires.

"We are very grateful to the YOG18 Organising Committee for including Squash in their Games and they can be certain that we will make sure we do them proud," added Serna after the meeting.

Squash will be played at Tecnololis, the same venue which hosts badminton, futsal and table tennis.

The event days for squash, the format and other general arrangement and presentation details, will be decided at follow-up meetings, where WSF will be liaising with the hosts in conjunction with the Argentinean Squash Federation.