POSTED: October 20th 2008
NewsUpdate
New lead for world squash
KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
MANCHESTER: Squash has a new leader to guide the sport into possibly the most momentous year in its history.
Jahangir Khan has been succeeded as president of the World Squash Federation by N Ramachandran as the sport prepares to try winning over IOC members who decide next year between the seven premier sports bidding for entry or re-entry into the Games in 2016.
Squash, which has never appeared in the Olympics schedule, is competing in Copenhagen next October against baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby union and softball.
Ramachandran was elected unopposed by the WSF’s annual meeting in Manchester after English candidate Chris Stahl withdrew his own candidacy, stating that his rival was “the best man for the job.”
Jahangir had retired from the presidency after having completed his statutory maximum six-year term of office. His successor is also secretary-general of the Squash Rackets Federation of India as well as president of the Asian Squash Federation.
Also, perhaps significantly, he is the associate vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association and vice-president of the Olympic Association of the state of Tamil Nadu.
President's twin targets
Ramachandran said: “I am humbled by this wonderful appointment and look forward to working closely with all 144 of our member national federations. In the short term I will be working towards the pursuit and fulfilment of our Olympic dream and ensuring that we continue our promotion and development of the sport worldwide.”
Jahangir, former record 10-times British Open champion, promised his continued backing for the 2016 effort. He said: “For squad it is very important to get to the Olympic Games and I will provide all my support to the campaign in the coming months.”
In the elections for vice-presidents Heather Deayton (Hongkong) and Gerard DeCourcy (New Zealand) retained their positions on the board while Stahl joined them after Frank Van Loon (Netherlands) stood down.
Earlier the meeting, organised to coincide with the Hi-Tec World Championships in Manchester, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new universal “point a rally” scoring system at 11 points per game for both men and women. The system will come into official effect from April 1 next year.
Keywords · Squash · Jahangir Khan · World Squash Federation · premier sport · N Ramachandran · 2016 · Copenhagen · Manchester · Chris Stahl · Heather Deayton · Gerard DeCourcy · Frank Van Loon
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