(ATR) The World Squash Federation is hoping the sport’s French connections will bolster its bid to join the Paris Games.
After two failed Olympic bids, federation president Jacques Fontaine believes the sport is now better positioned to enter the Olympic program.
"We still think the Olympics is the showcase and pinnacle for the athletes, that’s why we decided to try again," Fontaine told reporters at a media briefing on the sidelines of SportAccord.
The federation has initiated talks with Paris 2024, and held discussions with a delegation at SportAccord.
Fontaine, president of the French Squash Federation and a board member of the country’s NOC, plans to draw on his relationships in the French sports movement to boost the sport’s Olympic push.
He says the country’s strong tradition in the sport – two male and two female world champions – and winning of the European Team Championships in 2015 and 2017 "give squash an intimacy in the French sports landscape".
"We are not coming from nowhere, we can provide the best players," he told reporters.
"No other country has hosted as many team champs since the creation of the world federation. It all means we have built the legitimacy of the sport in France."
Fontaine added: "Our first step is to convince Paris 2024 we tick all the boxes they request or they estimate to be important. It is a daily contact. I have known them for a very long time."
The French Squash Federation is donating one of the three glass courts it purchased for the European team championships to organizers of October’s Buenos Aires Youth Olympics; it will be installed free of charge for the Games where squash is one of only two exhibition sports.
"That’s a huge milestone for us in development. It’s an IOC event and we will be part of that."
Fontaine highlights the flexibility and low-cost of the sport as two other assets in the Olympic quest.
And he insists the long-term objective is to stay on the Olympic program beyond Paris 2024.
"Squash is strong and growing in the USA… we try to make a bridge between Paris 2024 and LA 2028," he said.
IOC sports director Kit McConnell tells Around the Rings that the process for selecting sports for Paris 2024 is set to be confirmed this summer.
This year and through 2019, the World Squash Federation will promote its Olympic credentials at global events "showing how squash fits into the Olympic Agenda 2020".
A review of the five new sports on the Tokyo 2020 program along with the 28 core sports will be undertaken in the second half of that year.
Fontaine says he expects the IOC to make decisions about new sports for Paris 2024 in December 2020.
Asked if he would be surprised if squash was not shortlisted, he said: "Yes if we were not selected [on shortlist] we would be more than disappointed. But I cannot make any anticipation. I think we have shown we provide top players and medals."
"We have our own agenda and we know it will be a combination of two types of race, a marathon or 800m. We wait for the [IOC] rules."
Speaking about the Paris 2024 possibilities, he said the sport’s leaders had 10-15 different locations in mind for the Games. World Squash was "mindful of Agenda 2020" – being a low-cost sport, flexible and that it won’t bring many athletes to the Games.
Promoting the sport’s innovation and leaving an Olympic legacy were crucially important, he said.
"The pillar of our campaign is to focus in terms of TV, the innovation brought by the PSA and then focus on the fact that squash is accessible to all people wherever they live… economically squash is sustainable and squash is inclusive," he added.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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