Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

Government urged to lobby for squash’s Olympic inclusion

By Matthew Campelli    21 Jul 2016
Rees said including 'genuinely global sport' squash would be 'inexpensive' / christinarees.org

The government has been asked to lobby for the inclusion of squash as an Olympic sport, although sports minister Tracey Crouch claimed that it was “not appropriate” to get involved.

During a passionate speech in Westminster Hall, Neath MP and former Welsh number one Christina Rees delivered a paper titled Squash and the Olympic Games for political discussion.

She said that the sport’s exclusion was a “complete mystery”, highlighting its international reach.

“We now have more than 50,000 courts in more than 185 nations, from the Arctic Circle to the bottom tips of South America and Australia,” she said. “It is a genuinely global sport played by millions around the world.”

Rees lamented the process squash had been through to try and become recognised as an Olympic sport, claiming that it had been an “uphill task”. While it looked likely to be included for the London 2012 Games, a voting issue hindered its progress.

It was also considered for Rio 2016, but lost out to rugby 7s and golf, while Tokyo 2020 chose to include baseball/softball, karate, climbing, surfing and skateboarding at its expense.

Rees added that squash would be “inexpensive” to introduce at an Olympic Games and asked the sports minister to “pledge her department to support squash at grassroots and elite level”.

While Crouch agreed that Olympic inclusion would be a “great showcase to help grow the sport further” she conceded that it was “inappropriate” for national governments to become involved in the process of lobbying for individual sports. The responsibility for including sports, she added, was for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The minister called on national and international governing bodies to continue making the case for inclusion, and highlighted the government’s support for the sport through Sport England funding and UK Sport support. Over the 2013-2017 cycle, England Squash has received £13.5m (US$17.8m, €16.2m) in grants from the former.

Olympic Games  squash  Christina Rees  Tracey Crouch 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features

Company profile

Company profile: GLL
GLL
As the UK’s leading provider of both leisure centres and libraries, GLL operate nearly 400 locations all helping to make a real difference to local communities and local people.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Elevate registrations soar: a record-breaking start to Elevate 2024
Elevate, the premier event in the physical activity, fitness, sports therapy and performance sector, is thrilled to announce that registrations for its 2024 conference are now live – and the response has been nothing short of exceptional.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates