Squash at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles

It's official - squash will appear at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The day squash enthusiasts from all over the world, players, and officials have been waiting for has arrived. With immense joy, we received the official announcement from the IOC. Our messengers and social media have ignited!

Squash is an incredibly dynamic, spectacular, and demanding sport, a perfect fit for the Olympic program. Everyone involved in promoting this discipline can breathe a sigh of relief because we'll finally be part of the excitement that accompanies the Games. The time of immense excitement and anticipation for 2028 has come.

What does squash's inclusion in the Olympic program mean?

For the players, it's primarily an opportunity to compete on the world's biggest sports stage. Squash players, both men and women, will have the chance to vie for medals, not only securing their place in history but also achieving financial success. What's crucial for us and Polish squash? Above all, it will start gaining recognition from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, which has often neglected non-Olympic sports federations and associations. This gives us a chance to increase funding for sport promotion and, most importantly, the development of athletes, especially juniors. These juniors have been knocking on the door for a while now, securing increasing international successes.

Athletes with a chance to win medals in squash

The Los Angeles Olympics are nearly 5 years away. This time is when some athletes will strive to qualify for the main tournament, but it's also when some remarkable squash players might miss their chance to appear at this event. It's hard to expect that not-so-young players like Tarek Momen (born in 1988), Mohamed ElShorbagy (born in 1991), or even Ali Farag (born in 1992) will be at their peak in the USA. It will be more a time when players like the prodigious Mostafa Asal will come into their prime. Among the women, it seems that the current top players should feel fairly secure - El Sherbini, Gohar, and El Hammamy should be in their optimal condition at the event.

Polish squash - what can change after the IOC's decision?

As mentioned earlier, Polish squash, or more precisely, the results of our juniors, are becoming increasingly promising. Players proudly wearing the Polish eagle on their chests are gaining confidence at international tournaments, often winning them. Some of them are already at the top of the European rankings - Tola Otrząsek, Natalia Mierzejewska, Sofia Zrazhevska, Mateusz Lohmann, Anna Jakubiec. This is only a part of those who have recently contributed to the new strength of European squash.

The decision to include squash in the Olympics can have a very positive impact on the continued development of the sport, which has the potential to become even more popular in our country. Let's not forget that we already have the world's largest squash club in Poland - Hasta La Vista in Wrocław. High-level tournaments have been held in Poland, including the European Team Championships, the World Games, and the Masters Championships. If additional resources become available, success will follow, attracting private investors to the sport, and we can expect real squash development.

We eagerly await details about the schedule for the Los Angeles Olympics. Our squash community has long awaited this fantastic news, for which we are deeply grateful. We hope it will breathe new life into squash. We're keeping our fingers crossed for the development of our young athletes, quietly hoping that some of them will compete for Olympic medals.