Squash Breaks into the Olympic Universe: An Interview with the Director General of World Squash

An eternal candidate, but always unsuccessful, squash has won its place at the Games. Finally. He enters through a side door, under additional sports. Before, perhaps, inviting itself more permanently.

His discovery of the Olympic universe will be at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, an edition a priori less conducive to his entry into the place than could have been Sydney 2000, London 2012 or Paris 2024. The Californians have chosen him as the only individual discipline, among a quartet of team sports consisting of flag football, cricket, lacrosse and baseball/softball.

William Louis-Marie, Director General of the International Squash Federation (World Squash), answered questions from FrancsGames.

FrancsJeux: How to explain the choice of squash, the only individual discipline among the additional sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Games?

William Louis-Marie : Squash and its entire community – players, officials – have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. We must thank the IOC and the organizing committee of the Los Angeles 2028 Games for trusting us. We have been working with them for a year and a half in a very collaborative way. Why squash? To bring something different, which corresponds to their values ​​of innovation and leaves a legacy. Our sport today represents real diversity. One of the biggest tournaments in the world has just been won by a New Zealander in the men’s category and an Egyptian in the women’s draw. We are present on five continents.

Squash is not its first attempt to join the Olympic program. Why have you succeeded now, for Los Angeles 2028, where your arrival did not seem the most obvious?

Perhaps because it wasn’t easy, we played our luck to the fullest. But things are changing. For 5 or 6 years, squash has been developing. The professional circuit brings the best players all over the world. The quality of images and broadcasts on television continues to improve. Squash also has the ability to reach more and more people on social networks. We saw him recently at the junior world championships. It is perhaps because we were not expected that we were able to work calmly with the LA 2028 organizing committee and with the IOC, showing all the qualities of our sport.

What message did you try to convey to the American organizers?

We tried to understand what they expected from a new sport, which is not yet at the Games, but has been present for a long time in the Olympic movement and in a large number of multi-sport events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Pan American Games. We showed our expertise and knowledge of these multi-sport events. We also insisted on our ability to bring the best players in the world, thanks to our collaboration with the professional association (PSA). The LA 2028 people came to see us at the last Commonwealth Games, last year in Birmingham (photo above). They saw the exceptional spectacle of two players competing in a glass cage for 30 minutes or an hour. Los Angeles is the capital ofentertainment, the squash spectacle corresponds well to their values. We also insisted a lot, with the American federation – US Squash – on how to take advantage of the Games to bring squash to communities.

What will change for you this entry into the Olympic program?

Many things. Athletes know today that they will have the opportunity to take their place on the most beautiful sporting platform in the world. It’s a great motivation. National federations will be able to better negotiate with their national Olympic committee to obtain funding for programs for coaches and officials. For our part, we will have additional resources, working with sponsors, to further improve the production of our events.

What could be the venue for squash in LA 2028?

We don’t have all the details yet, but we have ideas for an indoor theater, where squash could be beautifully showcased in a glass court, with an exceptional number of cameras.

For Brisbane 2032, the terrain seems even more favorable…

Australia has a real history with squash. She has had great champions, world gold medalists. We were there recently for the junior world championships. Being present at Los Angeles 2028 will give us leverage to discuss with Brisbane 2032. But we must move forward slowly. We are going to work on Los Angeles 2028, without trying to skip ahead. England is also a great squash country, but we were not selected for the London 2012 Games.

2023-11-07 03:44:01
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