I would be interested to know how many readers of this site would support the inclusion of squash over wrestling.
I love squash (so much that I waste time reading about it since I live in a country where I can't play it) but I don't really believe it belongs in the Olympics more than wrestling.
Wrestling is a traditional Olympic sport, and one we never see outside the Olympics. Squash has a pro tour which allows fans to watch the game at the top level, and other tournament venues. (By the same logic I don't see any need for tennis in the Olympics, and certainly not golf- I would argue for squash over either of those.)
I think much of the fervor for squash in the Olympics is driven by the belief that more people will take up the game or watch it if it has the cache of an Olympic sport- but I don't know of any other sport of which this has been true.
I pointed out elsewhere that few Americans participate in rhythmic gymnastics or team handball- inclusion in the Olympics has hardly made these sports massively popular in places where they were not already.
There are a few amusing stories of people taking up unlikely sports to get into the Olympics, but surely the Jamaican bobsled team didn't lead to a massive development of that sport in Jamaica, nor did Eddie the Eagle inspire his countrymen to take up ski-jumping.
I'd love to see squash in the Olympics, but wrestling belongs there.
Sasha Cooke
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