Paris 2024: Could squash take legal action over Olympic omission, asks Nick Matthew

Last updated on .From the section Squashcomments134

Nick Matthew
Nick Matthew is a three-time world and Commonwealth champion

Britain's former world number one Nick Matthew has suggested there could be a legal challenge against squash's omission from the Olympics.

On Thursday, Paris organisers announced breakdancing was one of four sports to be proposed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for 2024.

Squash unsuccessfully campaigned for inclusion, having been rejected for London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Matthew, 38, asked: "Can the sport take the IOC to court over past bids?"

Speaking to the Telegraph,external-link the three-time world and Commonwealth champion added: "All the criteria which have been laid out have been ticked.

"We should have been part of the Olympic movement years ago, certainly from London 2012. It's very frustrating and I don't see anything that will change if we carry on doing the same things.

"Sports are being pulled from left field now."

Breakdancing was included in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018 and joins skateboarding, surfing and climbing - which will all debut at Tokyo 2020 - in being proposed to the IOC.

The body must reach a decision by December 2020.

Although he says he is not "advocating it", Matthew asked at what point a professional athlete could take legal action for being "denied a chance of a gold medal, which I can only see as negligence".

Saying he would be "fully supportive" of legal grounds for complaint, Matthew added: "Skateboarding didn't even have a national governing body when it was chosen as an Olympic sport.

"It shows a massive disconnect from the IOC on the actual infrastructure of the sport. It has to be made accountable."

In a joint statement on Thursday, the World Squash Federation and the Professional Squash Association said: "We truly believe squash could seamlessly integrate into the Olympic programme with minimal costs and an optimised pool of participants.

"Our unique interactive glass court would allow squash to bring a lot of additional excitement and spectacular action to any iconic monument of the host city, or shed a new light on less known urban areas while also helping to engage young people in the sport from day one of the preparations and well beyond the Olympic Games."

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134 comments

  • sorry but how is breakdancing a sport. squash has a far better case.

  • It's ridiculous that squash isn't in the Olympics....totally unacceptable. Squash has evolved and is reaching a wider audience globally and there's been years of campaigning falling on deaf ears.... shame on the IOC.

  • You have to assume that squash didn't have enough money to bribe their way into the Olympic fold and convince that corrupt IOC committee what a fine sport squash

  • BBC, shame on you, there seems to be a section on the BBC sport website for squash (see under all sport), but I am really struggling to get the latest news in breakdancing from your website. Please could we have some front page coverage of the latest developments in this sport.

    Disgruntled of Tunbridge Wells.

  • Breakdancing? I realise it is a very physical activity, but a sport? What's next, hairdressing? Baking? Tree climbing? Synchronised bulb planting?

  • He is absolutely correct, squash should be included, golf has been included before, but breakdancing oh come on when has dancing been a sport, what next baking. Lord Coe, you are from Sheffield listen to the guy who played a proper sport in your city.

  • I’m not a squash fan, but am utterly shocked that it’s not already an olympic sport. Considering how corrupt the IOC is, I’m assuming squash hasn’t greased the necessary hands.

  • Squash is a fantastic sport that brings great health and well-being benefits to participants. It has long been inclusive, global and professionally run.

    You might think the BBC could easily adopt it within a tightening budget bringing it to the masses. For the health of the nation if nothing else.

    The IOC are an absolute disgrace. Coe, where are you?

  • If break-dancing is honestly being considered it is a farce. Squash is a sport, a real, tough graceful sport, brilliant to play and watch - break dancing is skilled and graceful but come on, it is NOT an Olympic sport - squash is!

  • What a farce. Squash is a truly global sport, has innovated to become more audience appealing, has great grass roots all over, and the Olympics would be the pinnacle for squash players. Unlike a lot of sports currently in there (e.g. Golf, football just to name a couple)

  • To win at squash you need to beat your opponent. There is no judging. The court surface and size is consistent. It is one on one in the same space but no one gets hurt. It needs fitness, skill and the will to win. It is played by young and old, rich and poor, across the world. It is a spectacular, fast, breathtaking, non stop. The IOC has cheapened the Olympics. It is a circus.

  • I'm torn in this debate.

    On the one hand no sport has a right to be included in the Olympics. On the other, if breakdancing, figure skating and synchronised swimming can make it in, what more can squash (a genuine sport) actually do to prove their worthiness?

  • Absolute farce! Badminton and table tennis have been included for years so I don't understand why Squash has been omitted. Then to include break dancing would be a total joke! IOC Hang your heads in shame.

  • "8. Posted by Wachaza on
    2 minutes ago
    If you need judges to give a score to tell you who won it's not a sport it's Strictly Come Dancing. Full Contact Bake Off for inclusion in Olympics 2024."

    Boxing, Tae Kwan Do, Judo, Gymnastics, Diving, figure skating...

  • Breakdancing! What about egg and spoon racing or three legged racing!! What a joke!! And while I'm on one - what about football, tennis and golf?!!! Let's get rid of all the mass sports where the Olympics is NOT the high point for them. At the London Olympics football was the only thing I could get tickets for - cos nobody wanted them!! Back to basics please.

  • If you need judges to give a score to tell you who won it's not a sport it's Strictly Come Dancing. Full Contact Bake Off for inclusion in Olympics 2024.

  • Unfortunately for squash it doesn't have wide spread appeal or accessibility. Sports such as dressage, rowing or archery can be seen practiced every day in the back streets of cities around the world by kids who hero worship the stars, and squash needs to get a similarly broad based support before the IOC will take it up.

  • A fairly crude set of criteria for an Olympic sport:

    1) Olympics to be the sport's pinnacle (gets rid of golf, tennis and football)
    2) Objective result rather than judges' scores (gets rid of diving, gymnastics, synchronised swimming etc)
    3) Played at a high-enough level by more than three countries (gets rid of basketball, baseball, etc)

    Squash passes all three of these.

  • The Olympics is becoming a joke if they include breakdancing but not squash.

    One belongs on Britains Got Talent, and the other is probably physically the toughest racket sport out there.

    All just to try and attract a younger audience. What next? Magic acts at the Olympics!!

  • And also, shame on you BBC! Your coverage of squash is woeful. I remember a few years ago BBC streamed the world champs final on the website when nick Matthew won (2013 I think) You can do much more.

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