LA Hosts Recommend Squash for Inclusion in 2028 Olympic Games

The World Squash Federation (WSF), US Squash and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) have welcomed the decision by the LA28 Organising Committee to recommend Squash for inclusion in the LA2028 Olympic sports programme.

The decision is a significant and exciting milestone in squash's history as the sport nears inclusion in the Olympic Games for the first time.

The three organisations will continue to work together with LA28 and the IOC throughout the next steps of the process and look forward to the outcome of the IOC Session in Mumbai on October 16th, where the decision on the selection of new sports will be ratified.

The statement from the hosts said that the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games shared its official proposal for new Olympic sports, including Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Cricket (Twenty20), Lacrosse (Sixes) and Squash, to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for potential inclusion in the 2028 Olympic sport program.

"LA28's proposed sports ignite the imagination on the field of play and drive culture off it. They're relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centers, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe," said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman. "They will bring new athletes to the Games, engage diverse fanbases and expand the Games' presence in digital spaces, further amplifying LA28's mission to deliver an unparalleled experience."

The five proposed sports would come in addition to the 28 Olympic sports in LA28's initial sport program announced by the IOC in February 2022, including Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football (Soccer), Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling.

LA28, like every organizing committee, has the opportunity but not the obligation to consider including new sports for its edition of the Olympic Games. This proposal comes after LA28's Request for Information (RFI) process that opened to nine IOC-recognized International Federations (IF) in June 2022.

Each sport participating in the RFI was evaluated on the IOC approved sport program evaluation criteria, developed to assess sport disciplines and potential new sports for the LA28 Olympic Games. This includes economic responsibility, gender equality, sport integrity, fan interest and youth relevance - recommendations of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, the New Norm and the Olympic Charter.

"In building the Olympic sport program, we were willing to challenge the status quo and think differently about what's possible for the Games in Los Angeles," said LA28 CEO Kathy Carter. "We approached the process holistically and authentically, ensuring that our decisions were grounded in the Games' commitment to fiscal responsibility. And we've landed on a bold and balanced proposal that will energize the Games with culturally relevant competition and boundless possibility."