Chris Simpson: 'Squash ticks all the IOC boxes'
GUERNSEY professional Chris Simpson does not know what more squash could do to be included in the Olympics.
The sport got the news it dreaded – albeit half-expected – on Monday when the Tokyo 2020 organising committee recommended five additional sports for inclusion in their Games programme and squash was not one of them.
Simpson told the Guernsey Press that he was bemused by the news.
'I think I speak for the whole squash world when I say I'm gutted we didn't make the last five for the Olympics,' he said.
'I may be biased, but I just cannot understand why we keep getting left out – we are the only sport up for nomination that ticks all the boxes that the IOC asks for.'
Simpson thinks it may be time to move on and stop pursuing the Olympics avenue.
'As a sport squash has given it its best shot for Olympic inclusion,' he said.
'We have a growing tour and, in my opinion, future time and resources should be spent on continuing to grow this rather than trying time and again to get into the Olympics.'
Meanwhile, Simpson has been drawn to face second seed Nick Matthew in the first round of the US Open on Sunday 11 October.
More in Thursdays Guernsey Press.
