The decision was taken by the management committee of the WSF, led by its new President N Ramachandran, at the first meeting squash legend Jahangir Khan was replaced.

 

At the two-day event in Chennai, India, the committee also co-opted Holland's Frank van Loon as vice-president to strengthen the committee, and appointed Scotland's George Mieras as company secretary.

 

The primary topic for discussion and action over the next ten months was squash's bid to be accepted as a sport at the 2016 Olympic Games. 

 

The committee identified a number of key milestones during the build-up to the final decision to be taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its Session in Copenhagen in October 2009. 

 

They are:

 

· SportAccord meeting in Denverin March 2009 where the WSF delegation, led by Ramachandran, will also include former presidents Susie Simcock and Khan

 

· Response to detailed questionnaire from IOC programme commission by March/April 2009, demonstrating the sport's universality; compliance with IOC ethics and standards; as well as values that squash can bring to the Games

 

· Critical presentation to IOC Executive Board in Lausanne in June 2009 by the world squash team led by His Royal Highness Tunku Imran along with  Ramachandran, Simcock and leading athletes

 

· Decision in October 2009 on which two sports to be added to the Olympic Games 2016 will be made by the IOC session in Copenhagen and where squash will be present with a delegation led by Ramachandran, vice-presidents and athletes

 

The Olympic Task Force will be headed by van Loon, assisted by fellow WSF vice-president Chris Stahl and George Mieras, together with Olympic co-ordinator Ted Wallbutton. 

 

It will aim to promote the case for squash through its members, athletes and supporters worldwide and encourage fund-raising in support of squash's bid and final presentation using direct approaches to WSF members.

 

The task force will include athletes from the professional players' associations (PSA and WISPA), leading members of which have signed a memorandum of understanding committing themselves to full support of the bid and participation in the Olympic Games.

 

In further initiatives heralded by the new Management Committee, PSA and WISPA will each be invited to have a representative on the WSF's ruling Executive Committee and vice-presidents of the WSF's regional federations will be invited to attend meetings.

 

The WSF also said that it taking all the necessary steps to remain totally compliant with the new WADA code and has set up an athletes' commission as recommended by the IOC.

 

Ramachandran said: "It was a very wide-ranging and successful first meeting of the new Management Committee.

 

"We took some important decisions and clearly the Olympic issue is uppermost in all our thoughts and plans - I especially look forward to hearing the first reports from our new Olympic Task Force in due course.

 

"We need to strengthen even further our links with our athletes and our members nations - which is why we have invited our regional federations and the two player bodies to play a more active part in our decision-making processes."