Reuters/Tokyo


The head of the World Squash Federation (WSF) said he was devastated for the sport’s millions of followers after squash was again overlooked for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Squash was among eight sports shortlisted for possible inclusion at the 2020 Olympics but failed to make the final list of five sports, recommended by Tokyo’s organisers yesterday.
The five sports that were proposed for the 2020 Summer Games were baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing. Squash, bowling and wushu all missed out.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make the final decision next year on which sports will be accepted for Tokyo, choosing from the five that were recommended.
“I don’t believe we could have done more to get our message across to both the Tokyo 2020 Games hosts and the IOC how squash could bring something special as an addition to the programme,” WSF President Narayana Ramachandran said in a statement.
“I know I speak on behalf of the millions of squash players around the world for whom the opportunity of seeing their sport participate in the Olympics has been an absolute priority - and, like me, they will be heartbroken.”
Squash, played in more than 185 countries, was one of three sports shortlisted for full inclusion at the Tokyo Olympics when the IOC voted on the programme at its 125th Session in Buenos Aires two years ago.
Wrestling won that vote for inclusion ahead of baseball/softball and squash but the losers were thrown a lifeline when the IOC later decided that future Olympic host cities could select extra sports they wanted to see contested at the Games.
“However, this is not the end for squash,” added Ramachandran.
“Our sport, played by vast numbers week in and week out, flourishes at every level from recreational to events around the world.
“We will go from strength to strength while we continue to target participation at a future date in the Games.”
As part of reforms initiated by IOC president Thomas Bach last year, future Olympic hosts are now being offered the chance to bring in sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship.
Organisers wanted sports already popular with Japanese youth so new venues would not need to be built and add to ballooning costs.
Baseball and softball, united under the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), were previously on the Olympic programme but were dropped after Asia last hosted the Summer Games, in Beijing in 2008.
Karate has never been contested at the Olympics. Judo, another martial art founded in Japan, first joined in 1964, when Tokyo last hosted the Summer Games, and has been included on every programme since 1972.