OMOTADE Isaac: Give squash a chance its due at the Olympics

OMOTADE ISAAC (Former Captain : OAU Squash club/ OAU Squash Team 2014 NUGA/ Osun State Squash Team for Eko 2012 18th National Festival)

Barely a week ago the International Olympic Committee on Friday (Mar 8) to be precise quashed the hopes of squash which had kept lobbying for inclusion in the 2024 Games even after Paris organisers had announced its roster. READ MORE

SOME AMAZING SQUASH COURTS

SOME FEATURES

Squash goes Gold, PARIS 2024, We crave for this morethan anything in the world.

Just so you know, Paris 2024 was not the first. Lobbying for the inclusion of Squash, the world healthiest sport at the Olympics have been ongoing for over a decade now. The sport has been denied Olympic status despite meeting criteria.

Leading up to the Rio Olympiad, the International Olympic Committee announced that skateboarding, karate, baseball, sport climbing and surfing will be part of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Absent from the list is squash.

Although getting a sport involved in Olympics is a long and arduous process, it’s surprising that some seemingly minor sports have been given priority over a game that is played by millions of people in more than 175 countries across the globe.
In Nigeria for example with 36 state including her Federal capital territory, you can find at least two squash courts in each state, that's about 72 standard squash courts; Lagos alone which is the citadel of squash players across Nigeria has over 50 squash courts in different locations including sport clubs, hotels, Recreational clubs, Stadium, Squash Academy (Head waters Squash Academy for Teens ); hosting tournament for young and pro players almost every week which serves as a major source of income for most e.g The Apapa Open Squash League, Annual Cargolux squash tournament, Lagos International Classic, Governors cup, Chamberlain Squash Open etc.

Team Nigeria celebrating Victory at Zimbabwe Squash Open
Nigeria alone can boast of over 500 players, 50 professional squash players both male and female most who represents the country in major PSA Tourneys. Some Nigerians who represent in PSA tournaments are: Tunde Ajagbe  who represented Nigeria at the 2019 Bermuda Squash Open, wale Amao, Moses Durosinmi, Lanre Abdulrahman, Endurance Emoso, wasiu Bello, Aliu Quadri, Yemisi Olatunji (current female no1), Idowu Eninakure, Sodiq Taiwo, Gbenga Adeyi and few others.

 Team Lagos
The participation level of squash is growing worldwide, including Africa regions. Egypt for example has consistently produced some of the world best players.

If the Olympics are to reflect which sports are played across the world, then squash surely has a compelling claim for inclusion.

SEE BELOW FOR SOME SQUASH Olympic Bid Videos

Two features of the squash presentation to the IOC Programme Commission woven into the Powerpoint presentation cued into the speeches were bid videos.

First clip shows how Nicol David and Ramy Ashour compellingly highlight the strengths of the squash case and what competing in the Olympic Games would mean to them.

Second clip shows the preparedness, creating the awareness with the hash tag #SQUASHGOESGOLD towards Paris 2019 Olympic Bid.










The third video is a visual illustration that squash is played all over the world, with players from many of them taking part by self-filming their national identity.