How squash became an Olympic sport - and why it's good news for Egypt's medal hopes

After decades of fruitless campaigns, multiple rejections and false hope – squash is finally an Olympic sport.

The decision to include squash in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme was officially ratified on Monday at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai – along with cricket, lacrosse, flag football, baseball and softball – ending the sport’s 30-plus year search for a place at the Games.

As Niccolo Campriani, the sports director of LA 2028, said on Monday, squash has been “for too long the bridesmaid but never the bride”, referencing the numerous failed bids and near-misses the sport has gone through.

Many of the sport’s top stars had given up completely on the idea squash would become an Olympic sport, which begs the question: what changed and why now?

Egyptian world No 2 Nouran Gohar was the athlete representative at the official presentation made by squash executives to the LA 2028 committee as part of its bid to be included in the Games.

Joined by Professional Squash Association (PSA) CCO Tommy Berden, World Squash Federation (WSF) CEO William Louis-Marie and president Zena Wooldridge, along with US Squash president and CEO Kevin Klipstein, they gathered at Philadelphia’s Comcast Center on September 30, 2022, to make their case.

“Each one of us spoke from their own perspective,” Gohar told The National. “As an athlete, I explained how it is an exciting sport, how you can feel the connection between the crowd and the players and the excitement of it.

"Watching a squash match on TV is something, and watching it in reality is something else. It deserves to be an Olympic sport and it has everything to make it an Olympic sport. It was about time that we became an Olympic sport.

“It was a virtual meeting but it was very