LONDON Inside a gleaming, glass-roofed building in the heart of London's Canary Wharf banking district last week two of the world's top squash players fought each other to a standstill.
The fact that few people, apart from a few hundred business types who strolled from their offices to watch some enthralling sport, even knew the event was on, let alone who the players were, illustrated perfectly the problem facing squash.
With virtually no television coverage, no superstar names and no Olympic profile, the game which is enjoyed by millions around the world seems to have hit a glass ceiling as a spectator sport.
The Canary Wharf Classic, in which Britain's Nick Matthew, the world number two, beat fellow Yorkshireman and world number four James Willstrop in a ferocious two-hour duel before claiming the title against Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, was so far under the media radar that not one of the national newspapers based across the street bothered to send a reporter.
It is nothing new and the top players, apart from Egyptian world number one Ramy Ashour, who is something of a celebrity at home, appear resigned to sweating profusely while chasing a small rubber ball for little more than the love of it.
“We are proud of the sport and don't seek publicity for ourselves, we seek it for the sport,” the 29-year-old Matthew, still catching his breath after a match that ended with Willstrop flat on his back with cramp, told Reuters.
“Without being arrogant, I feel that we deserve to be spoken about in the same way that tennis players like Andy Murray and other top sportsmen and women are spoken about.
“I'm number two in the world, Murray's number four, maybe he should ring me for a bit of advice about how to get higher. It's quite nice that I can walk down the street and nobody knows who I am but a small share of exposure would be nice.”
Murray commands huge coverage in Britain, particularly during Wimbledon, and a millionaire's lifestyle.
While Matthew, who earns a decent living from squash, is full of respect for the Scot, he says that while six British men are among the top 13 in the squash world rankings, Murray is the only Briton in the men's top 200 in tennis's ATP standings.
What really hurts, however, is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision last year to welcome golf and rugby sevens into the Olympic family for 2016 while squash was again left out in the cold.
“You look at badminton and cycling which are no more popular worldwide than squash but they have a big profile now here because of the Olympics, deservedly so,” said Matthew, who will compete at the Commonwealth Games in India this year.
“Squash is a worldwide sport, 170 countries play, and the top 20 are representing seven countries with however many more in the top 50. It's a global sport and we think it ticks every box and we are proud of the product we put out there.
“That was my worst moment in squash when I heard that we hadn't got in to the Olympics.”
Peter Nicol, the former world number one who now promotes tournaments such as the Canary Wharf Classic and a recent event held in New York's Grand Central Station, believes the Olympics would be the pinnacle for squash players, whereas golf and tennis already have their majors.
“The Olympics would have been the highlight for me,” he told Reuters. “If somebody had said to me when I was 29 that I would be playing in the Olympics in two years I wouldn't have focused on anything other than winning the gold medal.
“It should be an Olympic sport and it was frustrating that we didn't get in. It's about finance, which it has to be because the Olympics costs such a huge amount of money.
“We have to turn it on its head, we have to appeal to the Olympic movement and get our house in order in terms of media coverage and profile in terms of sponsors so that they are there lobbying for us the next time the IOC are voting. We have four years to try and do something about it.”
Australia's David Palmer, who was runner-up to Nicol at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, agreed.
“We've played the last three Commonwealth Games and that is our biggest thing in squash but the Olympics is the next level up and it would be fantastic to play at the Olympics,” he said.
“We thought we had a fantastic chance but unfortunately golf and rugby are more commercial and have a bigger commercial sell than us. But we are making changes and I heard that we may have a shot again for 2020.”
One of the stumbling blocks in the past has been how to cover the sport on television -- a problem now overcome by improved camera technology, glass courts and internet streaming which is taking it to bigger audiences.
“We were told it has to work on TV and it needs to be more professionally minded and targeted at youngsters, that's what we're going after,” Alex Gough, chief executive of the men's Professional Squash Association (PSA), told Reuters.
“From my position we have to think what have we got to do better because every time somebody comes to see the sport they love it.” —Reuters
