By Duncan Mackay

Squash could one day feature in the Paralympics after the sport took the first step ©YouTubeSquash has taken its first step on the road to one day becoming part of the Paralympic Games.


The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed the World Squash Federation (WSF) as one of its Recognised International Federations.

The WSF claim that the sport has increasingly been exploring ways of increasing opportunities for those with disabilities to take part. 

"I was delighted and grateful to hear that IPC have accorded us this status," said WSF President N Ramachandran. 

"Our Para-Squash Commission, under the directorship of our German Federation's President Wolfgang Bauriedel, is already looking at ways in which we can encourage and enable anybody with an impairment to enjoy squash at all levels.

"This recognition for WSF will spur us on still further."

German Wolfgang Bauriedel is head of the Para-Squash Commission ©WSFGerman Wolfgang Bauriedel is head of the Para-Squash Commission ©WSF

An increasing number of sports are seeking places on the Paralympic programme.

Badminton and taekwondo both ran high-profile bids in their successful efforts to be added to the programme for Tokyo 2020, while sailing has launched a public campaign to try to get the IPC's decision to drop them after Rio 2016 reversed. 

But the immediate target for the WSF is persuade Japanese organisers at Tokyo 2020 to add squash to the Olympic programme following the adoption of Agenda 2020 which gives host cities more flexibility to include sports that are popular in their countries.

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