Now played in over 100 countries, the sport of squash has certainly developed since monks donned webbed gloves to slap balls against the walls of their monasteries in Medieval France. Professional squash players tour the globe on their own dedicated squash circuit, where cash prizes await the elite.
Though squash is one of the most widely played sports in the UK, rewards for the top players are in a far lesser league than those on offer in comparable, but more high-profile, sports such as tennis. The sport’s long and elusive search for inclusion in the Olympics has proven unsuccessful thus far, and is certainly a factor in the sport’s lack of coverage. This, however, is an issue the sport’s governing bodies are keen to remedy for 2016.
Walking around the National Squash Championships in Manchester, held in the elite squash venue built as part of the Sport City complex for the Commonwealth Games, it is hard to see why squash suffers a lower profile than comparable sports. On quarter finals day, there appears to be strong interest from the public, with even the Masters matches on the outer courts being well supported.
The National Squash Championships in Manchester are held in an elite squash venue built as part of the Sport City complex for the Commonwealth Games. Whilst wandering through the crowds and exploring the innovative layout, it is hard to see why squash suffers a lower profile than comparable sports. On quarter finals day, there appears to be strong interest from the public, with even the Masters matches on the outer courts being well supported.
Interest increases as one approaches the show-piece Perspex court that constitutes the heart of the venue. It is certainly a thing of beauty and the tiers of spectators sit enthralled as the stars of British Squash, such as James Willstrop, Nick Matthew and Alison Watters, dart around the court. It really is an incredible thing to experience top-level squash at first hand. The sheer pace of the rallies, sustained by the agility and endurance of the hyper-fit players is quite incredible live; remarkable for a sport which has long suffered from a lack of interest from TV companies.
Yet, this could all be about to change. According to seasoned pro Vicky Botwright, who now heads up Manchester City Council Squash Development Programme, the new style of courts could really boost future media exposure, “the Perspex courts have certainly helped its TV appeal, they are magnificent”. And it is true; the all glass courts certainly add a variety of possible camera angles to a sport that has been notoriously bad at failing to pass on the sheer speed of play to the viewer at home.
Botwright also had views on the development of the sport, particularly with the bid for 2016 inclusion on the horizon: “I don’t know what we have to do really. Squash is such a popular sport, everyone will know someone who plays or has played; not everyone, on the other hand, has done synchronised swimming. We just need to keep on trying and hope the Olympic Panel will realise the sport’s great appeal.”
If there is one member of the squash community who knows how to attract attention, it’s certainly Botwright, having set the sport alight in 2001 by posing for a magazine shoot in nothing but a thong. The Lancashire “Hot-Bot” became something of a star of the sport following this, in the process attracting to squash the sort of media coverage it needs to increase its appeal.
And if Botwright is anything to go by, squash has certainly become a lot sexier in recent years – although the authorities put their foot down when she requested to wear a bikini on court in 2004. The bright lights and pop music that accompany the players as they walk onto court certainly suggests the sport’s governing body, England Squash & Racquetball, has taken steps to increase the sport’s appeal. Similar to badminton, squash has recently altered its point-scoring system from English to American in order to shorten the length of games, which were previously liable to become bogged down in drawn out exchanges of serve.
Some, however, have a more relaxed attitude to Olympic status. Vision spoke to up-and-coming world number 44 Tom Richards, who was knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winner Nick Matthew. “It’s not the be-all and end-all- we are a part of all the other championships. The fact that maybe it doesn’t televise well could be a part of the problem. But the funding from England Squash is good and I’m just lucky to be able to do something I love full-time”.
So although Olympic status still proves elusive, the sport still is still able to provide financial support for its players. Still sweating from her quarter final defeat, eighteen year old Warwick student Sarah-Jane Perry spoke of the practicalities of combining her passion for squash with her Engineering degree. “The university is very supportive timetable wise. In terms of funding, it can be quite expensive travelling abroad to tournaments but the money can be reclaimed through a government funding scheme, TASS (the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme)”.
Her surprise success at the 2009 Championships bodes well for Perry’s plans to become a full-time squash player, though she may well rely on financial support for some time: “The money is not great at the moment, though you can win up to 500 euros at some tournaments, along with a load of free rackets and kit I don’t really need!”.
The world of squash will have to wait until October to discover the IOC’s verdict, but even without the Olympic status, the sport appears to be in rude health. Within Manchester’s state of the art facilities, England Squash and Racquetball are developing the country’s future talent with pride and care. Programme leader Botwright enthuses: “The Manchester squash programme is the biggest in the UK. There is a lot of coach involvement in schools to widen participation and the best get to play in this fine arena and go onto the academy if they are good enough.”
While coaching from the former world number five may be incentive enough for anyone to enter the sport, the sport does not necessarily have to rely upon the “Lancashire Hot-Bot” to attract players. Squash is a rewarding and enjoyable sport, reflected in the high participation here at York at club, college and university level. But it seems an unavoidable truth that to enter the sporting A-list, Olympic status may be crucial. In the meantime, however, with growing participation and media interest, prospects for the sport seem bright enough; and if the sport were to produce a few more Vicky Botwrights, anything would be possible.