I will strive for Olympic status for squash: World Body President

Chennai, Nov 2 (UNI) Newly-elected President of World Squash Federation N Ramachandran has vowed to strive to make squash an Olympic sport.

Replying to felicitation got up by Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI)' at the India Cements Academy where the national junior and sub junior championshps are under way, Mr Ramachadnran said he would be meeting the IOC International Olympic Council, along with a few of his officials soon to get things done to realise this objective.

If Squash becomes an Olympic discipline, players would immensly benefit from it and it would inspire them to improve their level of play, he observed.

Mr Ramachandran said to give further impetus to the development of the sport in India also, academies would be set up in three more Metros in the country on the lines of the one in Chennai, which he had put up under the auspices of his company India Cements.

He said Srivatsan Subramaniam, who had hitherto been Secretary of SRFI would be taking over as President. ''Eventhough I have moved over to the world body, I will not neglect the development of the sport in India,'' he also averred.

Mr Ramachandran thanked the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDATN) for extending him all cooperation in his efforts to popularise the sport in Tamil Nadu and in other states in the country.

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