2020 Tokyo Olympics: IOC has been very unjust to squash, says Jansher

Pakistan legend blasts governing body following sport’s snub for Games.

KARACHI: Legendary squash player Jansher Khan has blasted the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to snub squash for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, despite the World Squash Federation’s (WSF) plea to accept the sport as a part of the Games.

WSF President Narayana Ramachandran had, on Monday, expressed his disappointment at the decision, claiming that it is a sad day for the sport after the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee did not recommend the sport to the IOC for the Games in Japan.

Jansher believes that the Olympic governing body has been extremely unjust to the sport. “Squash is a global game, and it should’ve gained entry in the Olympics,” Jansher told The Express Tribune. “The whole system is in place but yet their efforts have been overlooked. The 2020 organisers and the IOC have done a big injustice to the sport.”

Meanwhile, former Pakistan head coach Jamshed Gul lauded the WSF’s campaign to be included in the Games, but failed to understand the reason behind the rebuff.

“The WSF did a great job to support the squash campaign for the 2020 Olympics,” Jamshed told The Express Tribune. “The entry would’ve completely changed the dynamics of the sport; I don’t know why the game wasn’t considered worthy enough.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2015.

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