Squash Delighted By Tokyo 2020 Announcement

After the disappointment of missing out on a place on the programme for the 2020 Olympic Games at the IOC Congress in Buenos Aires in 2013, the opportunity for Squash to present its case again after the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee were offered the chance to nominate sports has been grabbed with both hands by the World Squash Federation.

Tuesday's announcement by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee that Squash is one of eight sports shortlisted - from which a final recommendation will be made to the IOC in September - has been warmly welcomed.

"We are confident that Squash would bring something special to the Programme of the Olympic Games," said WSF President N Ramachandran on behalf of players in the 185 countries in which the sport is played. "Squash is a fine gladiatorial sport played all over the world and featuring great athleticism, competition and broadcast output.

"We are very grateful to the Tokyo 2020 Additional Event Programme Panel for including us in the shortlist from which nominations to the IOC will be made.

"There is a long and strong squash tradition in Japan, with the Japanese Squash Association closing in on its fiftieth anniversary," Ramachandran added. "Tokyo hosted some of the biggest professional events in the world a little while ago and now has great juniors such as Satomi Watanabe and Ryunosuke Tsukue who are doing so well at world level.

"The Olympic Games in 2020 would be perfect timing for them!"

PSA Also Welcomes Inclusion In Olympic 2020 Shortlist

The Professional Squash Association (PSA), the organisation responsible for the administration of men's and women's professional squash, have welcomed the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to include the sport within the latest 2020 Olympic Games shortlist unveiled today.

Squash was named alongside Baseball/Softball, Bowling, Karate, Roller Sports, Climbing, Surfing and Wushu in the eight-strong shortlist which comes following the IOC's decision to abolished the cap of 28 sports for the Summer Games in December 2014 and move to an “events-based” system.

PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough said: "We're delighted that squash has once again been included within the Olympic Games Shortlist and look forward to following the progress of the IOC and Tokyo 2020 committees as they build towards their final decision in August 2016.

"The Olympic Games should be the pinnacle event in any athletes career and inclusion in the Games would be a defining moment for squash and offer our players, who represent over 60 countries around the world, the chance to compete for what would unquestionably be the most prestigious title in the sport.

"With that in mind and as the most demanding, dynamic and gladiatorial racket sport in the world, with the ability to be played virtually anywhere in the spectacular setting of a state-of-the-art four-walled glass show court, we feel that squash would be the perfect addition to the 2020 Olympic Games and offer Tokyo the chance to showcase some of the city's most stunning locations in a truly unique sporting environment."

A decision regarding which sport(s) will be included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be announced in August 2016.