Squash

Squash, formerly called squash racquets, is a racket and ball sport played by two players in a four-walled court, with a small, hollow rubber ball. Squash was developed from the older game of racquets in England, in the 19th century. About 1830, boys at the Harrow School modified the game when they noticed that a punctured ball, which “squashed” on impact with the wall, offered more variety to the sport.

The World Squash Federation (WSF) is the international federation for the sport, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As of 2024, the WSF had 88 full members, 28 associate members, and 41 non-affiliated federations.

Squash has been bidding to be on the Olympic Programme for many years, and the WSF has formed a commission specifically tasked with obtaining IOC approval of squash as an Olympic sport. A mixed youth exhibition tournament was held at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics. In August 2022, the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee shortlisted nine proposed sports for consideration as optional events for those Olympics, with one of those sports being squash. At the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, the IOC approved squash as an optional sport for the 2028 Olympics, along with four other sports.