Squash had just been denied a spot at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics when I wrote a post titled Nine Spectacular Squash Venues. At that time, kite-Surfing and Rugby Sevens were given the nod by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
That was in 2012.
A follow up post on unique squash venues feels timely.
Things have not changed a lot for squash.
Squash did not make the cut for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
World Squash Federation’s effort to have squash included in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have also fallen short.
While denying squash a spot in Olympics 2024, the IOC chose to provisionally include breakdancing, sport climbing, surfing, and skateboarding as additional sports for the Paris event.
Imagine picking breakdancing as a sport over squash!
But, it would appear that there are folks who believe that breakdancing deserves to be an Olympic sport.
So, now we wait to see if squash gets the call for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028!
Meanwhile, the PSA and the other regional governing bodies have to find ways to promote the game and make it more exciting and appealing for the masses.
Temporary pop-up squash courts in high-traffic public spaces help promote awareness and excitement for the sport.
Check out this Slideshare of twelve unique squash venues that make you want to play the game.
As shown in the slideshow, outdoor squash venues tend to be larger, offering more seating for paying spectators. Companies such as ASB SquashCourts have played a major part in the rollout of pop-up glass squash courts around the world.
The primary argument against squash has always been that it is not as effective a spectator sport when compared to other sports such as tennis, especially on TV.
For anyone who watches Squash on TV, this may come as a bit of a surprise.
It is true that squash is better watched live. However, with the advent of high-quality glass courts, high-definition cameras, and atrium-like seating arrangements in newer sporting arenas, squash is undoubtedly drawing a heightened level of interest from traditional followers and curious observers.
Considering that all the other major racquet sports like tennis, table-tennis, and badminton are already included, the exclusion of squash feels discriminatory to most of us avid squash fans.
Occasionally taking the game outside the typical confines of a squash club may also help shed its elitist image.
While squash has seen some growth in developing countries, it is a fact that the elite Ivy League colleges have historically played a big part in the US squash scene. Check out this post on Business Insider titled 20 of the best squash players on Wall Street. The schools the players come from tells it all.
Taking squash to the masses may be the only way to create awareness for the sport and generate interest among sponsors.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not helped. Social distancing and squash do not mix well. The Oracle NetSuite Open, an event that I was planning to watch in San Francisco, has been cancelled.
Larger outdoor venues with pop-up courts may be the future for squash tournaments in the post-coronavirus era. But that comes at a cost. Sponsors who love the game will need to be lined up.
Perhaps, it’s time to tap into the goodwill of some of the squash-friendly high rollers on Wall Street.
Note: The images of the squash courts included in this post have been curated from the web. The links to the sites where the images first appeared are included for reference.
