Let's Talk Squash - SUSPENDED

Squash Mad

Congratulations Glasgow on being selected to host the 2014 CWG!

Having visited Glasgow and experienced the city and people ... these games are sure to be phenomenal!

What lies ahead:
2008 Beijing Games
2010 Vancouver Games
2012 London Games
2014 Commonwealth Game

Given the lead-up and during the games themselves; what can our sport do to FULLY leverage the above for the growth, visibility and to increase the chances of Squash becoming a full Olympic sport?

Given our quasi-Olympic status now, shouldn't we be looking to stage a tournament during or immediately before/after the above major events? Wonder if there might be some appetite for example in China as part of their Olympic preparations to suggest they fund/host an event 2 weeks before the Olympics as a trial-run of their readiness? technically, organizationally, PR wise to show that they are ready? seems like a win-win to me?

Google the name of the CEO of the Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee .... try this: type in: John Furlong squash into Google. Isn't this the type of candidate, given his rich and devoted squash background and now given his amazing Olympic contacts and credentials (lobbying efforts, success, continued work in the Int'l Olympic arena) someone the WSF should be reaching out to for:
- short-term advice, relationship building
- post 2010 consulting, advisory expertise
- an annual contract will likely be unattainable, but why not:
- hire for 2 or 3 weeks and/or invite him to an event such as WSF annual conference to present? educate staff? share best practices? key drivers of success? what he learned? team, skills required?
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"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Einstein

WHY? · Heavy Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Posts: 29

The IOC are very anti any sport trying to muscle in on the Olympic timeframe. Water Skiing came unstuck on that a few years ago and others have too. Also no organising committee is going to have the resource or will to run other events just before the games. They will have more than enough to do finalising multi billion dollar arrangements.

Squash Mad · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject:

Dear Why:

Isn't Squash a quasi-Olympic sport? I wasn't proposing doing anything without first liasing and getting approval from ALL the necessary governing and organizing bodies? Did Spain not use a squash event (in small measure) to demonstrate their readiness and capacity to host world scale events as part of their Olympic bid campaign?

Isn't there merit to TRY and make efforts, explore possibilities? Or should we continue to shoot down all ideas? continue to find reasons not to TRY? reasons not to ACT? How about putting our energy, vision, passion into finding ways TO ACT?

What we have done so far to become an Olympic sport hasn't and didn't work. Time to do more, do differently and do better ... maybe time honestly appraise and evaluate methods and people?

Sooooo many people lament the failure of squash to become a FULL sport within the Olympics AND seem overly fixated on gaining Olympic sport status. But what are we doing about it?
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"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Einstein

marko · Prolific Contributor Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 144

Why does squash want to be in the Olympics - corruption and lots of people taking their bribes

It seems thriving as it is so why change ?

Take badminton - I heard on a commentary, the chap saying about one of the top players in the World taking only $5000 as winner in one of the big tournaments in the world - so where does the money go ?

I'd imagine the players will be very disappointed as the WSF take the IOC cheque - give themselves nice bonuses and then distribtrute funds to build squash courts in areas where no one has heard of the sport. Anyone know what WSF bonuses will be given if squash gets into the Olympics - squashmad - heres one for you.

god I'm negative tonight !

bendi36 · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:19 am Post subject:

It's illeagal for them to give themselves bonus's from the IOC funding
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If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite

marko · Prolific Contributor Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 144

yeh - just as its illegal for ioc members to receive bribes, etc etc

Does anyone know what the wsf actually do

bendi36 · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:05 pm Post subject:

yer whatever marko. Since your in the inner circle of the IOC officials and can comment on whether they are receiving bribes. The WSF is their to ensure the game is good and grows.
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If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite

marko · Prolific Contributor Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 144

1. Even the stones know about IOC bribery

2. WSF is discussed in another topic about the endless meetings which never get followed up - just a jolly for the top brass as usual

bendi36 · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:58 am Post subject:

oh the stones know. I'm very impressed. Do any people know? Shouldn't the IOC be arrested. Where do you get your inside information
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If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite