Runa Reta - WISPA Squash Pro on Tour on www.squashtalk.com

The newly crowned World Open champions of 2005- Nicol David (Malaysia) and Amr Shabana (Egypt)- are significant victors, not only because of their accomplishments, but more notably, because their faces reveal a notable shift in the dominance of the game.

Ten years ago (with the exception of the Khans and Ahmed Barada) the mens game was dominated by England and Australia, followed by a small group of developed, commonwealth countries. This trend was even more acute in the womens game. As we have entered into the new millennium, this is no longer the case. The heart of the game now rests in the hands of innovative and exciting players from all over the globe, thus making each match-up that more intriguing and exhilarating for players and spectators alike. The tide has begun to turn and developing nations, whose athletes were rarely a source of praise or attention in the past, have now made significant strides in their efforts to leave their mark on the global stage through sport.

In my recent trips to the Qatar Classic and World Open this year, I was taken aback by the number of young, talented players coming up from countries like India, Pakistan, Egypt, Korea, Malaysia, and the SAR of Hong Kong. On the womens side, several Korean girls- who though having played very few WISPA events during the year- caused the greatest stir in the qualifying of the World Open, either pushing or upsetting players ranked much higher than themselves. Similarly, the girls from Hong Kong- who incidentally made up the team that took home the World Junior Championship title for the first time this past summer- competed strongly, showing that they will be serious forces to be reckoned with in a few years time.

On the mens side, several Pakistani juniors showed off their abundance of flair and talent in Qatar and HK, ensuring that Shahid and Mansoor Zaman will soon have more of their compatriots joining them at the top. And the Egyptians- always personal favourites of mine to watch- have much to boast about with the likes of Ramy Ashour (a sickly talented kid with charisma and the kind of likeability on tour that parallels Amr Shabana’s), his equally flamboyant brother Hisham, and juniors like Omar Mosaad, who hit the ball with the such pace and authority, that it is frightening to imagine what will become of them when they develop fully into men!

And this is just to speak of the professional side of things. In the 2006 British Junior Open that just wrapped up recently, you could scarcely find a top seed that was not from Egypt or Pakistan! (6 titles went to Egyptians, while the other two were won by a Malaysian and French girl). It is abundantly clear that developing nations, through their players, are the ones responsible for supplying a new (and well-needed) spark to the game of squash.

It is an exciting and heartening prospect to see an ever-widening variety of techniques and styles of play on the tour, because it signals a healthy expansion and metamorphosis of the game that will only serve to challenge the minds and bodies of the athletes (and their coaches) in their efforts to adapt. Not to mention a more exciting and varied game for spectators to watch! At the same time, I can’t help but wonder why squash seems to be floundering in traditionally strong squash states such as England and Australia, and why the future is bound to see smaller, lesser-known developing nations carrying the game of squash on their backs to maintain its popularity. In other words, what has provoked this squash-playing shift from North (developed states) to South (developing states)? (or more accurately, from “Western” to “non-Western” countries).

The first explanation that I could think of is this: in certain countries like Australia, England, and France, where there are so many athletes from different sports vying for the attention and support of their respective national sports councils, it is easy to see how squash has often been sidelined in the process. Particularly as squash has recently made big pushes that have failed to bear fruit in obtaining admission as an Olympic sport, priorities now lie elsewhere, thus providing a setting that is inimical to the growth of our game in these countries. On the other hand, in countries like Pakistan, Egypt and Malaysia, where there does not exist as cultivated a sports culture, great efforts are expended on the few athletes who do show signs of major promise and talent. In Malaysia for example, squash is apparently on a short list with 4 other sports, which the national sports federation has decided to apply their greatest support and focus towards.

In this vein, it is not surprising to know that a player like Nicol David is literally famous in her home country, due to the immense exposure she receives through the government and media. Similar importance is undoubtedly given to the highly ranked Pakistanis and Egyptians. In these countries, where squash is getting a disproportionately high level of exposure on tv and in the papers, and more importantly, where the government is paying good money to support its athletes, it is easy to understand how the game is growing at a very healthy rate in these places, compared to other “Western” countries. (in fact, kids in these countries may grow up wishing to be a squash star, just as kids here in America would dream of becoming football or basketball stars!)

Despite this reasoning behind the shift of interest from North to South, I think that there is a second and more interesting hypothesis that can help explain this phenomenon, that not only relates to squash, but sport in general. After all, one can argue that the increasing popularity of squash in places like Korea and China (Hong Kong) is not a result of those countries placing an emphasis on a limited number of sports. On the contrary, these countries have quite vibrant sporting cultures that encourage success across the board. In this case, what I believe is occurring is a considerable increase in the value that is assigned to sport itself, due to the expanding role that it plays in helping build and project a strong national identity to the outside world.

In a recent issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming was the focus of the periodical’s cover story, which discussed the power of sport, and its ability to “reach across the barriers of race, culture, dialect, and nation”. We can all relate to the feelings of pride and patriotism when citizens of our own countries compete and succeed at a high level (particularly at the Olympics). It is these same sentiments that leaders of developing countries are perhaps trying to project outwardly through their own athletes successes. Similar to the prestige that is assigned to countries that become members of international organizations like the EU or WTO, boasting the highest level of excellence in sport (by having a #1 athlete or team in the world) seems to evoke a feeling of importance and belonging within a community of respected nations. Moreover, for lesser known countries that are trying to join the elite political, economic and military circles of the world, sport can often be a vessel for expressing national ambitions and values, and occasionally eradicating certain outside held views of a country.

In China’s case for instance, basketball star Yao Ming is seen as a “patriotic icon who smashes the stereotype of the weak and diminutive Chinese and shows how China can compete against the best in the world”. When he plays, Americans and the world alike are able to become familiar with this big, strong, talented, yet modest team player, who aptly personifies the image that the Chinese are eager to share with the world (and one, which the article points out “has nothing to do with Chairman Mao or massacres at Tiananmen Square”). Similarly in India, tennis sensation Sonia Mirza has blown up into an overnight superstar, leading many to speculate that the first attention of this kind for a female athlete in this country could be the result of a broader policy to present a more moderate, liberal and female-friendly India to the world.

Although not all countries have become enraptured with building strong sporting programs as precursors to greater national ambitions, there is no doubt that in many developing nations, a significant shift has occurred in the value that is assigned to sport. In an increasingly globalized context, sports and entertainment have become more intricately linked with international economics, diplomacy and culture, giving rise to innumerable reasons for countries to put more emphasis on sport within their own borders.

The end result is simple: with greater resources at hand in the 21st century, developing nations are going to increasingly push their athletes to represent them at the most competitive levels of sport, in order to stamp their authority and make a place for themselves within the community of respected nations. With a growing pool of talent to choose from across the globe, all sports will become drastically more competitive, thus pushing the levels of play higher and making the top spots (in squash and otherwise) that much more elusive and coveted. The signs of such changes have already taken root in squash, with lesser known countries producing players of fine quality as well as quantity. They are swiftly making their way up the rankings with purpose and confidence, signaling that a changing of the guard at the top is imminent. This is a truly special and unique moment in the history of our game- let us enjoy it and embrace it.