Over the past few months, there have been numerous write-ups and debates about squash not being included in the Summer Olympics, scheduled to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Considering that all the other major racquet sports such as tennis, table tennis, and badminton are already included, this would appear discriminatory to most of us avid squash fans.

Certainly, it cannot have anything to do with the sport itself! There is no doubt that squash is a demanding sport that requires a high level of physical fitness, athleticism, and skill. It is played around the world by both men and women and has a burgeoning fan following.

So what is holding squash back from Olympic inclusion?

The main argument against squash is that it is not as effective a spectator sport as, let’s say, tennis, especially on TV.

For anyone who watches Squash TV, this may come as a bit of a surprise. It is true that like many other sports, 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 certainly drawing a heightened level of interest from traditional followers and curious observers.  

The introduction of point-a-rally scoring and video replays are also expected to make the game more interesting and easy to follow for the audience.  To understand some of the steps being taken to make squash more watchable and television-friendly, I decided to take a look at some of the squash courts and venues that have hosted some of the top-level tournaments around the world.

Here is what I found.

(If you are unable to see the slides, please click here: http://www.slideshare.net/daxnair/nine-spectacular-squash-venues)

As squash moves out of its traditional four walls within a club and becomes more of a spectator sport held at malls, squares, and commercial centres, sponsors with deep pockets will still be needed to subsidize the costs of holding these tournaments.

After all, squash is the darling of the Wall Street types!