The decision by the International Olympic Committee to officially include squash as a sport in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles has been met with enthusiasm from squash enthusiasts and officials.
The World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association expressed their gratitude to the Organising Committee of the LA28 Olympic Games and the IOC for this inclusion.
Zena Wooldridge, President of WSF, conveyed her immense delight, stating, “On behalf of the entire global squash community, I would like to express my immense delight at squash’s inclusion in the LA28 Olympic Games. Squash is an amazingly dynamic, diverse and demanding sport that is perfectly suited for the Olympic Games.”
President of the Nigeria Squash Federation, Boye Oyerinde, described this development as a positive step for squash’s growth. He said, “It is such a great time to be alive to see the inclusion of the game we love on the world stage, this is a welcome development. It will give our players something to look forward to.”
Tomi Falase, the Chairman of the Lagos State Squash Association, believes that the prospect of players competing on the world stage will elevate the level of competition in squash. He also expects increased sponsorship opportunities, stating, “I believe that with this development we’d have more sponsors coming on board to sponsor tournaments and even adopt talents to sponsor.”
Busayo Olatunji, the second-ranked female player in Nigeria, expressed her excitement at the possibility of representing the country at the Olympics. She hopes this development will attract more support for squash players, saying, “I’m so happy because it’s something we’ve been waiting for. There’s more to look out for. I hope all squash enthusiasts will key into this new development, so we players can thrive without being distracted about sponsorship.”
Yusuf Durosinlorun, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Squash Federation, believes that this inclusion will add value to players and attract corporate sponsors to the sport. He congratulated all involved and expressed his happiness about the development.
Onaopemipo Adegoke, the number one ranked male player in Nigeria, is looking forward to representing the country on the global stage, stating, “It’s a great time to be a squash player, and I’d be looking forward to representing Nigeria at the global stage.”
Gloria