Squash Given 2020 Bid Boost
Squash has strengthened its bid to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games after staging a successful 2013 World Series Final which was televised on Sky Sports.
The tournament, which acts as the end of season competition, was hosted at the Queen’s Club and featured the top eight male and female players from around the world.
Nicol David of Malaysia, winner of the women’s competition hopes the success of the event will help the sport’s bid, saying: ‘We have to keep solid with the 2020 campaign this time. It’s an honour to represent squash in any way and if I can get the message out there to back the bid then I will do whatever it takes. If I can help in any way to get squash in the Olympics, then I will push myself to stay in the game until then. But that would be the ultimate dream come true, to help squash get in the Olympics and then play in it.’
England’s Nick Matthew, who lost in the final, also gave his backing to the sport’s bid: ‘I really hope squash gets in for 2020. Had we been at the Olympics [at London 2012] and won medals, you can’t even imagine what that would have done for the profile of the sport. It’s off the charts and I hope we can be successful.’
Squash is one of seven other sports aiming to be included in the 2020 Games, alongside climbing, karate, roller sport, wakeboard, wushu and a combined baseball/softball bid. The International Olympic Committee (IO) will make their decision in September in Buenos Aries.
