China has interest to give squash a boost in the mainland

Some of the squash players from China

The world knows the supremacy of China in sports like table tennis and badminton. In fact excellence in these sports has been given a new dimension by this Asian giant which is also one of the world’s leading sporting nations. The 2008 Olympics which China hosted in Beijing with such splendor and meticulous manner and also the way it dominated the Games as well are all now part of golden history.

In short these events have put on pedestal China’s capability as a great organizer and a competitor. It was the fruits of judicious planning where there was only one watchword “win and win only.”

Even in tennis, the country may not have risen to the high of the other two racket sports but still has its heroes and heroines and what is more achievements to point out. Then again major tennis tournaments are a feature in China. With such high ideals in its sports culture, it was a bit of a surprise that China has little to show for another racket sport, squash. The country organizes one of the leading squash tournament, the highly rated China Open where the best players of the world congregate.

Yet this has not inspired as of now a generation of top quality players in the mainland. Experts believe that perhaps squash’s non-inclusion in the Olympic programme could be one plausible reason, but all this conjecture may become a thing of the past if the developments or moves in recent times are any indication.

Of interest here is the observation of Maj S. Maniam, Director of Development and Coaching, World Squash Federation who had lately been to China on an inspection mission to Dalian, the city in North Eastern part of the country. This is the city, just one hour away by flight from Shanghai, where China is keen to conduct the 2018 world women’s squash team championship and made the necessary bid with the World Squash Federation.

As is customary in such situations, the WSF sent Maj Maniam as its representative to inspect the venue and report. What this official, who is also the Consultant Coach of the Squash Rackets Federation of India, saw at the Community Sports Centre, floored him. “They have already placed four indigenously made all-glass courts at the Centre. A leading manufacturer has come up with these courts in place of the conventional ASB courts which is the facility common the world over,” he said. Additionally what he learnt was that the manufacturer had innovated colour schemes for the courts with the pink one being the most accepted.

Maj Maniam was impressed but where he felt he did not have an immediate answer was the request of the Chinese squash authorities to have this event sometime in September and not the regular slot of November/ December. “Being a place where the temperatures can really go down during the end of the year their request was for September when it can be wonderfully cool,” he said.

These are of course technical issues which the World body will handle, but the fact remains the big country is waking up and has come forward not just to show its organizational capacity but with equipment that matches world standards. The signal is clear. China is beginning to see a good reason to give this sport a boost. And, why not? Already Hong Kong, which is also under China has some class players going around the global professional circuit.

It will not be long before one hears of China establishing training centres to get young talents into the groove. Already coaches from Hong Kong, Pakistan and Malaysia have been regularly taking up coaching stints. Maybe bigger designs are in store.