Singapore looks to attract more competitive squash players ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028

SINGAPORE: At the age of 24, national squash player Au Yeong Wai Yhann is already making great strides in her sport.

She was the first local woman to win an event at the Professional Squash Association Challenger Tour, one of the world's biggest tournaments for up-and-coming players, in September this year. 

Ranked 84th in the world, she plans to go professional by June next year, especially now that the sport is bound for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Squash was officially selected for inclusion by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October this year. 

“I have a really good chance and it has been a big motivation for me to really strive for that. So I'm really hoping I get the opportunity to participate in it (the Olympics),” Au Yeong told CNA. 

However, recognition for the sport is lacking in Singapore, said the six-time national champion and SEA Games medallist, adding that when she tells people about squash, some do not know what it is.

“Being on the Olympic stage, (squash is) going to be shown everywhere … everyone around the world is going to be watching it. Hopefully, it showcases how tough our sport is, how much tactics are going on there, and the physicality of it,” she said, adding she hopes this entices more young Singaporeans to pick up the sport. 

DEVELOPING THE SPORT

Alex Wan, general manager of the Singapore Squash Racquets Association (SSRA), agreed.

“The Olympics is really the pinnacle of competitive sport. So it would definitely encourage a lot more young people to see that there is a much longer pathway for the sport,” he said.

This comes amid plans to develop the local squash scene ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028.

The association is working on recruiting more children on top of the about 40 currently under its junior development programmes that caters to those aged 12 to 17. 

Meanwhile, the association will be holding open trials next year to draw more competitive players aged 19 and above. The SSRA is hopeful that this will identify players who have the potential to become serious athletes.

MAKING SQUASH MORE ACCESSIBLE

However, the lack of courts, especially those accessible to the public, remains a problem, said Wan. “At the moment, squash is still a little bit of an elite sport, and we do not have (enough) courts that are accessible to people in the heartlands.

But the SSRA is working very hard with private clubs, condos and schools to allow courts to be more accessible to everyone,” he said.

The association has found some success with private clubs, he noted.

“They have been very open to our development plans and they have also opened their doors to some schools to do training,” he said.

He added that the clubs have also allowed national athletes to train using their facilities at times when the national centre was not available. 

The usual training grounds also may not be around for much longer. The seven courts at the Kallang Squash Centre, which have been there for the past 50 years, were initially slated for demolition by the end of this year.

The deadline was pushed back indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the association has yet to find a new home for the sport.