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11-Aug-05:
HOPPING AWAY TO LAMBS…
 I
love going to Lambs… First, it’s the first time I saw Peter Nicol
and Jonathan Power “live”, back in 2002, and so many more… Then, it
seems like, every time I go there, something fun is happening, so I
mentally associate Lambs with great times…
Well, this time was slightly different, as it was a press meeting
about;
1. Our future in the Olympics…
2. How can we improve traditional press coverage in the UK…
Vast program…
So, dropping my crutches for the first time, hop I went, taking
buses and tube (was about alone in both…) to get in the “about to be
torn down” prestigious and historical club…
Framboise
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CHRISTIAN:
A LONG JOURNEY…
 Let’s
come out with it. First time I met him, back in February, I was not
that sure that Christian Leighton was cut to succeed our own
Ted Wallbutton. Too young, I thought, and he doesn’t know
much about squash. Too much to achieve in too little time…
Well, women’s prerogative I guess, did I change my mind...
The man IS the job. Precise, attentive, witty, polite yet assertive,
passionate, charismatic, clever, and… dedicated.
He is on a mission,
and doesn’t make a secret out of it.
As he was telling us about all the events and incidents of the
missed entry of the squash into the Olympic Program, you could feel
how hard he and his team worked, as he did believe we were in, as
his heart broken up when our hopes finally crashed for a few little
votes…
But even more amazing, the Man is still standing, the Man is still
fighting. And you can see in his eyes, in his slight smile, his
determination: “next time, guys, I’ll get you next time…”
And you know what? For the first time, I now believe that we
actually will get in…
Framboise
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WHY BOTHER ?
by Steve Cubbins
After all the effort, the heartache, the obvious question is "is
it worth it, what would we actually get out of being an
Olympic sport anyway?"
Well for one,
listen to the players.
Everyone single one of them would view the Olympics as
the pinnacle.
To be able to compete for an Olympic gold medal is a dream
worth fighting for.
And how the sport would benefit financially - in squash
terms huge amounts of money would become available, worldwide.
The IOC distribution of proceeds from TV rights etc amounts to
around $6-7 million for even the smaller sports.
Funding from National sports bodies is often based on the
number of Olympic medals a sport can promise or deliver.
Outside the Olympics squash is closed off from these sources
of funds, which would make a huge impact to the development
work that could be undertaken, at grass roots and elite level.
Badminton, for example, has benefited hugely from its Olympic
status. TV coverage and prize money in major tournaments has
rocketed, with massive knock-on effects at all levels of the
sport.
The answer is clear ...
Yes, it's worth it.
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PRESS AND SQUASH:
ANY FUTURE…?
During
this meeting, we heard some sad news. Colin McQuillan, who
was working for the Times for years, hasn’t seen his contract
renewed. This is indeed real sad news for the Sport. And although
Colin will have actually more time to work for other employers, like
SquashPlayer or Planète Squash International, this marks the end of
an era.
With the development of the Internet, with the speed we are able to
publish results, photos, quotes, reports, the newspapers, who did
dedicate so little space to squash, do not feel they need to employ
journalists anymore…
Sign of changing times… And yes, the coverage of Squash has changed…
But surely, there is still a need for hard copy, isn’t there? People
watch football, or cricket, or golf live on TV, and yet, the next
morning, they are still buying their newspaper, and jumping to the
back pages, aren’t they?
Surely squash fans do enjoy the pleasure of following a match on
streaming, or through the live score board, of getting the players
reactions “à chaud”, “on the spot”, and yet, they still get on the
site to read the detailed reports the next day…
Squash needs coverage, TV of course, and internet, newspaper,
specialised magazine, whatever.
From diversity comes richness.
We need our sport strong, popular. We need new writers, new blood,
new passion. We need it in every country in the world where a squash
federation.
So, get typing, ladies and gentlemen, we need you…
Framboise
ANY CHANCE FOR LONDON 2012?
by Steve Cubbins
A 'late entry' for the 2012 games is an absolute non-starter.
No chance.
However, although ‘exhibition sports’ are no longer included
in the IOC’s charter, it is still possible the next IOC
session in Torino, this October, could allow for ways that
sports could be part of the 2012 games in this manner -
'exhibition', 'demonstration', or something along those lines.
If a squash event could be designed that would not impose a
large financial burden on the games, the London organising
committee are known to be open to proposals.
Plus, with several sports sharing multi-purpose venues which
will have ‘spare’ days, squash could present an attractive use
of those resources.
To be part of the Games process, with our athletes competing
for medals would be a massive advance ... and has not been
ruled out.
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 World
Squash Federation Chief Executive Christian Leighton reports
on the 'Olympic Situation' ...
THE
BUILD-UP
The race for 2012 was always going to be a difficult one. Not merely
due to the competition but also because of the race rules. Most
notably, the Olympic Charter states that in order to include a new
sport (s) to the programme, an existing one (s) must be dropped.
While controversial, this rule could not be changed ahead of or in
Singapore. And knowing that we could not influence the decision on
existing sports, we focused on what we could impact: being # 1 in
the hearts and minds of as many IOC Members as possible, in case the
opportunity came up.
 So WSF and our Member National Federations embarked on a mission to
familiarise as many IOC Members as possible with our sport and our
proposal for 2012. Looking back, we all did a good job of defining
our messages and how to deliver them. And we all pulled together as
one united team magnificently.
We chose to win the hearts and minds of the IOC Members by using a
soft, 1-to-1 approach that has been complimented extensively. And we
also received acknowledgement for the campaign materials - the
Olympics presentation and DVD. But the most important reason why our
build-up campaign was successful is because we have a wonderful
sport that is practiced and run by a great, united family.
It is because Squash delivers the goods: an intensely athletic and
clean sport, role-model athletes, popularity in all continents, ever
expanding professional tours, increasing levels of TV coverage and a
zest for technology and innovation. It was very satisfying to
confirm that Squash is widely recognized as one of the first sports
to embrace the Internet. We need to remain on the forefront.
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 SINGAPORE
The hype in Singapore was extraordinary. Jahangir Khan, Susie
Simcock, Nicol David, Charles Ng and Sukumaran Nair of Singapore
Squash and myself were there throughout the whole 117th IOC Session.
Singapore Squash capitalised on the opportunity and arranged a
never-ending series of interviews to further expose our case.
Jahangir Khan and Nicol David did at least two interviews per day
from July 5th to July 8th with wide coverage on the main newspapers
including the Straits Times - delivered to the door of every IOC
Member!
 Undoubtedly the highlight of our campaign in Singapore was on July
6th. The official Opening Ceremony of the 117th IOC Session started
at 7:30PM. After the initial speeches by Mr. Rogge and the
Organising Committee, Channel News Asia, which was transmitting live
to over 20 countries, switched to a live interview in which Jahangir
Khan discussed our case. We had the very best prime time and to add
the icing on the cake, a public survey on which sport (of the five)
should be included in the 2012 Olympic Games showed Squash on top
with 47% of the votes!
With London having won the race for Host City and supporting
Squash's inclusion full on our chances looked good. To then see not
one but two openings become available surely meant that changes to
the programme were inevitable. And when the race was on for those
two spots (and all of Squash's hard work over the past few years was
put to the test), Squash came out on top!
 Squash was effectively voted into the London 2012 Olympic Games
ahead of Karate while Rugby 7s, Roller Sports and Golf were
eliminated in earlier rounds of the voting. With Mr. Rogge pushing
for new sports to replace the ones that had been excluded our
chances now looked extremely good. Mr. Rogge requested a show of
hands to quickly confirm Squash and Karate as Olympic sports and
thus thrust us into the programme but the overwhelming negative from
the floor indicated that something was not quite right.
The last hurdle proved to be insurmountable. According to the
Olympic Charter, a new candidate sport must obtain 2/3 of the vote
to be recognised as an Olympic sport. And this we failed to achieve
by a significant margin. We needed 70 of the 105 total possible
votes with abstentions and invalid ballots counting as 'no'. Squash
obtained 39 votes in favour with 63 against and 3 abstentions while
Karate had 38 in favour, 63 against, 3 abstentions and 1 invalid
ballot.
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WHAT WENT WRONG?
 So why did we fail to get even close? On the one hand, the target is
unrealistic and the IOC recognises this problem. No sooner the
results were in and President Rogge was already talking about
lowering the benchmark to simple majority - as is required of
Olympic sports. We will of course push for this change in the
Charter so that the playing field is level next time around.
On the other hand, the atmosphere in Singapore was not conducive to
change. While most IOC Members will say that change is good, 2012
was judged as too early for changes to the sports programme. "You don't change a winning team– was a recurring theme in the back
corridors.
Also, as soon as Baseball and Softball were excluded, we
had to contend with two unofficial participants in the race. And
this we never planned for. To put it bluntly, many IOC Members
decided that no sports should have been dropped and that therefore
the vacant spots should remain as such.
 Lets also face the fact that despite our efforts, most IOC Members
know Olympic sports far better than they do any non-Olympic sport.
It is only logical after attending so many Olympic Games and working
with the Olympic International Federations for such a long time.
So we should all be disappointed and not to try again, right? Wrong!
What did Squash achieve? There are many positives coming out of this
bid cycle. And I would like to highlight the main ones:
- Squash has won the race for inclusion in the Olympic Games 2012.
This is a major
marketing tool because it underscores our perceived value among key
sport leaders
- Squash's report from the Olympic Programme Commission provides an
objective
assessment of our strengths (yet another marketing tool) and
opportunities (more on this
later)
- Squash's profile has been elevated in the IOC and we now enjoy
more and stronger links with key IOC Members and IOC staff
- Squash's profile has been elevated in the media
- Squash is now seen as a very serious contender for 2016
- Squash has a better understanding of what it will take to get
into the Olympic Games and is
equipped with unprecedented levels of reputation and clear next
steps
As you all know, WSF focused almost exclusively on this project in
the past 6 months. We did it for a very good reason that is as valid
today as it ever was: everything we did for the Olympics race would
benefit our sport. We would learn how the world views us and we
would elevate the profile of our sport at the same time. As surfers
would say, we had a unique opportunity to catch a large wave and we
made the most of it!
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WHAT
NOW?
The objective of gaining Olympic status remains intact. Squash
belongs in the Olympic Games because our inclusion represents a
win-win that is rooted in shared values and ideals.
The next opportunity is at the IOC Session of 2009. At this meeting,
a similar review of the sports programme will take place with the
aim to define the sports for 2016. With two vacancies already
available, Squash finishing in top place in 2005 and our superior
network with the IOC, the chance in 2009 is now so much better.
We do need however to integrate our Olympics project into our
strategic planning, at all levels and in all organisations if we are
to be successful.
But what has happened since Singapore?
WSF has already had informal feedback from the IOC in terms of how
we can take Squash to the next level and thus have a solid case for
inclusion in 2009. We have also obtained rich feedback from IOC
Members in Singapore, Duisburg (World Games) and Edmonton (World
Masters). And we will be meeting with Mr. Rogge to express our
points of view on this cycle and review the IOC's recommendations
looking ahead.
But the benefits do not stop at a heightened chance of inclusion, as
if this were a small prize.
The beauty of having gone through this cycle is that we now have a
clear picture of what our image is among key sport leaders and very
specific recommendations on how to take the sport forward.
You will not be surprised to learn that "reaching new audiences" is
the key theme and that TV is viewed as a key tool.
WSF is currently integrating all the learning and will be asking for
your points of view to define our vision and strategies. We will
have a chance to discuss this further at the AGM (Nov 16-19 in
Brazil).
I will leave you with a thought from the great Jacques Cousteau when
discussing the role of his films in gaining new adepts to the
conservation cause (I apologise that this is not verbatim):
"In
order to preserve the oceans and its creatures one must first care
about them and you do not care about what you don't know".
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 RECOGNITIONS
Everyone involved in Squash deserves a share of recognition in this
campaign: Players, Coaches, Promoters, Member National Federations,
Regional Federations, Media, Sponsors, Club Owners and Investors,
Referees, Player Associations and Manufacturing Companies.
You have
all taken Squash to where it is today: at the very doors of the
Olympic Games! Well done.
Thank you to all.
Christian Leighton
Tomorrow Christian tells us
about Squash
in the World Games in Duisburg ... |
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