Squash is out! Rugby sevens and kite-surfing in; really?

By now, some of you may have heard that squash is out! It was denied a spot at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.

Unfortunately, this has been the plight of squash!

The general sense is that there just is not enough profile for the sport and the players. There are no superstars in squash; nor are there obscene amounts of prize money to be won. The two top-ranked players of the game, James Willstrop and Nick Matthew are British. Announcing the inclusion of squash, in the year of the London Olympics, would have been the perfect boost for the profile of the game. Instead, golf, rugby sevens, and kite-surfing got the nod!

So, are you doing your part?

You are an ardent squash enthusiast and lover of the sport. You play at least two or three times a week, and believe it is a tough and demanding sport, that merits inclusion in the Olympics. But then, are you really a squash fan?

Can you name some of the top players who currently play in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) circuit? When did you last go to watch a squash tournament, outside the one held at your club? Do you at least watch Squash TV? On the contrary, you probably are able to rattle off the names of at least five tennis players, and watch Wimbledon on TV!

Now here is what you can do, to try to change the status quo.

Join World Squash Day, to back the Olympic bid for 2020. To overcome some of the traditional objections, bodies like PSA have introduced changes like Point-a-Rally (PAR) scoring, video replays, and extra referees. White squash balls make the rallies easier to follow in a glass court. Badminton and table tennis have been around as Olympic sports for a while now. The fact that some of the top players of these games come from the most populous parts of the world may have something to do with the large fan following.

Where is the Jeremy Lin of squash?

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