Organisers of the campaign to make squash an Olympic sport believe
the ATCO Super Series Finals will be another great showcase for the
sport which will help their efforts to be included in the Games
succeed.
Squash is among seven sports competing to be included on the
programme in 2016.
The ATCO Super Series Finals event is a major squash tournament to
be held before senior members of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) meet to decide on up to two sports which might receive their
endorsement.
Former World No. 1 Lee Beachill COO of the PSA and Squash
2016 bid team member, said that meant the competition, which
takes place this weekend at London’s prestigious Queen’s Club,
assumed even greater significance than usual.
And he promised that the tournament would illustrate how the 2016
Games would benefit from the sport’s ability to generate intense
competition of rich appeal to spectators.
 "The
ATCO Super Series Finals is one of our sport’s premier events and an
example of the men’s game at its best. All high-profile events are
important for the sport in the build-up to the October vote.
"We will have the world’s very best squash players producing
top-level competition in front of capacity crowds – something we are
convinced any Olympic host will want to offer spectators."
The IOC’s
Executive Board is due to meet in June to consider the bids of the
seven sports vying for up to two places on the roster of events for
those Games. Its recommendations will then be put to a vote of the
entire IOC membership in October at the same session which will
choose whether Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Chicago or Madrid should be
the 2016 host city.
Beachill said that the Queen’s Club event would showcase the best
elements of the game of squash, which is played in 175 countries by
over 20 million people worldwide.
He stressed that the sport’s commitment to the IOC was indicated by
the fact that the world’s best players, including those taking part
in the ATCO Super Series Finals, had all pledged to compete in 2016
if selected.
Ziad Al-Turki, Vice-Chairman of the ATCO Group and chairman
of the Professional Squash Association (PSA), said he was confident
the tournament would provide the best possible platform for squash
to realise its Olympic dream.
 "Everyone
who loves sport loves the Olympic Games and the celebration of the
highest level of competition it represents. We believe that the
ability of our sport’s top players and the appeal it possesses mean
that squash would sit perfectly alongside the other disciplines on
the Olympic programme.
"As the ATCO Super Series Finals feature the best squash players in
the world competing this year for the first time in the truly
special surroundings of Queen’s Club, I am sure we will be able to
show the very best that our sport has to offer."
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