Squash get serious with heavyweight appointment for Olympic campaign

SQUASH - which continues to be overlooked for a place at the Olympics despite their very obvious strong claims for inclusion - is clearly taking their 2020 Games bid more seriously.

POWERFUL: Mike Lee has recently guided the communications strategy of the  London 2012, Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018 bid teams plus helped Qatar win the World Cup and rugby sevens earned Olympic status. He is now working with squash on their 2020 Olympic campaign

The sport was beaten by rugby sevens and golf for a place on the schedule in Rio but last week was shortlisted again by the International Olympic Committee for a potential place four years later.

Climbing, wakeboarding and wushu, a Chinese-dominated style of martial arts, also could make their debut while squash joins previous applicants, baseball, karate, roller sports and softball on the shortlist.

The final decision will now rest with the IOC's full membership when they meet in Buenos Aires in 2013, a gathering that will also decided the host city, with Rome and Toyko the early frontrunners.

But squash - whose campaign last time lacked the resources of their rivals - are clearly desperate not to slip up again.

Vero Communications, the specialist consultancy run by IOC insider Mike Lee, have been appointed by the World Squash Federation to mastermind the bid.

Everything the company has touched has turned to Olympic gold recently, Lee working on the London 2012 bid as head of communications before lending his services to Rio's successful 2016 campaign.

Vero also assisted Pyeongchang in their election as 2018 Winter Olympic hosts yesterday and advised the International Rugby Board during their campaign to get Olympic status for rugby sevens.

"I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Vero for them to be our bid management company and communications advisers and we look forward very much to working with Vero chairman Mike Lee and his colleagues in trying to realise our long-held goal of squash becoming a Summer Olympic medal sport from 2020," said WSF President N Ramachandran.

"When we met Mike, we felt straight away that he understood our sport and our ambitions. Vero have a tremendous track record in assisting bidding cities and sports so Squash will benefit immensely from drawing upon their experience and knowledge."

Lee - who also advised Qatar on their successful bid to stage the 2022 World Cup - added:  "We are thrilled with this appointment. Our aim is to help squash put forward a compelling case to the IOC programme commission and wider Olympic Family on why the sport would be a fantastic addition to the Games.

"There is a long road ahead in the campaign but we are excited by the challenge. Working with President Ramachandran and the WSF team, we will do all we can to help ensure that the voice of squash is heard all the way to the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in September 2013."

There are currently 28 sports on the summer Olympic programme - the maximum permitted - meaning one would need to be excluded to allow any of the IOC's shortlist their chance of filling the slot.

© Sportsbeat 2011

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