Squash (sport)

Squash

Squash at the Tournament of Champions, Grand Central Station, NYC
Highest governing body	World Squash Federation (WSF)
First played	19th century, England, United Kingdom
Characteristics
Contact	Limited
Team members	Singles or Doubles
Mixed gender	Separate competitions (mixed sometimes in leagues)
Type	Racket sport
Equipment	Squash ball, squash racket, goggles, non-marking gum soled shoes
Venue	Indoor or outdoor (with glass court)
Presence
Olympic	No
Paralympic	No
World Games	1997, 2005–present

Squash is a racket and ball sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. The players alternate in striking the ball with their rackets onto the playable surfaces of the four walls of the court. The objective of the game is to hit the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. There are about 20 million people who play squash regularly world-wide in over 185 countries.^[1] The governing body of Squash, the World Squash Federation (WSF), is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the sport is not part of the Olympic Games, despite a number of applications. Supporters continue to lobby for its incorporation in a future Olympic program.

Mathieu Castagnet at Nantes Squash Tournament in 2017