Jahangir Khan Confident Of Squash's Olympic Inclusion

MANCHESTER :Legendary squash player Jahangir Khan says his sport has its best ever chance of gaining entry into the Olympics next year.

Squash is vying for one of two available openings for the 2016 Games when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) assembly meets in Copenhagen on Oct 2, 2009.

Now president of the World Squash Federation (WSF), Jahangir was chairing the governing body's latest promotion of its bid to gain entry at the 2016 Games, when he said: "Things have changed in our favour."

That was a reference to the fact that since squash finished first of the five new sports which unsuccessfully sought entry to the London Olympics, the vote has altered from a required two-thirds majority to a simple majority.

"We have a 60-40 male-female ratio, we have taken part in 20 multi-sport games, including the Commonwealth Games, and by being a sport which takes part in one room we are economical and can save money," Jahangir said. "We can make our dream come true."

Squash's greatest stumbling block has traditionally been the difficulty in translating its movement, speed, and variety into television images, which tend to foreshorten the action.

However, there have been improvements there, and the fact that there have been no new sports in the Olympics since the 2000 Games in Sydney could create the best opportunity for the sport which has been trying since 1986.

"It has been too long," said Jahangir, who once went five years and seven months unbeaten.

"We cover all the Olympic criteria and we are deserving to be on the programme. I know what the players feel about being excluded and some current players may never get the chance to play in the Olympics."

The WSF stresses the high quality of its athletes as one of its strongest merits and has gained the backing of all its leading players.

Jahangir said that was an attitude separating it from a sport such as tennis, adding: "I can guarantee that all top 32 players would play in the Olympics."

However although there is a better chance of an opening for a new sport in 2016 than for 2012, there will be greater competition.

Last time squash had only four rival sports; now there are six - baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, and softball.