For the first time since the inception of amateur and professional sport, the entire sporting world has stopped operating – creating an unheard-of scale of disruption for athletes, International and National Federations, sponsors, broadcasters and, most importantly, for millions of fans.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed to 2021 and sporting experts are trying to gauge the scale of the daunting task that looms for the Olympic Movement.
Today, this pandemic has resulted in unprecedented action which was virtually impossible to foresee.
PSA has suspended its pro tour for several weeks and a vast majority of squash players are being locked down and confined to their homes with no possibility to keep playing their favourite sport.
Following regulations imposed by the English Government, the World Squash Federation office is working remotely and we try to remain available for our National Federation Members which are facing huge organisational and operational challenges.
We are also discussing with both organising committees of the World Junior Championships and the World Masters to assess the situation and take the appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of our athletes while also needing to abide by the regulations imposed by governments and local health authorities.
On the other hand, for the last couple of days we have seen many initiatives all over the world – with squash being played in unusual places because of the confinement; squash players sheltered in place practising their favourite sport; and National Federations or squash clubs finding unexpected ways to maintain a certain level of activity for their athletes.
During these trying times and after consultation with the Communication Commission, WSF would like to enhance any spectacular squash activities (and not violating any law, of course) undertaken by players, individuals, squash clubs and federations – and publish them on its social media channels.
“Squash is a fantastic sport which helps people stay healthy – and this is our role, to promote our sport and its enthusiasts in all circumstances, in particular during this worldwide pandemic,” said WSF CEO William Louis-Marie.
If you have a positive story that you would like to see on WSF channels, it is the right time to send it to WSF at [email protected] – with a small explanation and an illustration if possible.
#StaySafeWithSquash
We also would like to launch a new #StaySafeWithSquash tag to accompany all our articles – so write your best stories with this hashtag and let’s show the rest of the world that squash is innovative, dynamic, appealing and safe – and that our community continues to help people get through this dire period with a sense of solidarity and creativity!
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that”
Martin Luther King