N. Ramachandran re-elected WSF President

The President of the World Squash Federation, N. Ramachandran, will continue in the post for a fresh two-year term of the World body. This was the outcome of the elections at the WSF Annual General Meeting held here on Friday.

Even though Natalie Grainger, the WISPA (the professional body looking after women's tennis) President had initially decided on contesting for the post, she withdrew later to pave way for a unanimous election for Ramachandran.

In all, representatives from 45 countries attended the meeting, which included two days of conference and discussions to find ways to develop the sport, improve its profile in the media and also to make it an acceptable discipline in the Olympic Games.

‘TV-friendly'

Ramachandran, who briefed the media, said one of the areas of concern about squash was the small size of the ball; whether it would be easily visible to television audience.

“The Commonwealth Games has given us the comfort that this will not be a problem. But squash needs to be more TV-friendly,” he said, adding that one major step that the Federation had planned was to revive the World Cup after a ten-year gap and conduct it in people-friendly settings.

“The World cup, a competition with a mix of men and women players, is to be held in Chennai in March and we have planned to have a portable glass-back court placed right in a major mall in the city. We expect the public to take notice and then take interest,” he said.

The WSF President said he expected the International Olympic Committee, which had already seen two well documented presentations in support of squash's entry at the last selection process, would settle for a detailed questionnaire this time around.

Closely monitored

Of course, squash at the November Asian Games in Guangzhou would be closely monitored by IOC. “We are hopeful,” he said on the sport's inclusion in 2020 Games.

On the elections, Ramachandran said that besides him, three Vice Presidents were elected — Chris Stahl (England), Heather Deayton (Hong Kong) and Mohd Al Menshawy (Egypt).

The meeting decided to fall in line IOC guidelines and accordingly a motion was passed under which the President's and Vice Presidents' terms have been changed to two four-year terms and four two-year terms respectively at one stretch.

Ramachandran, who is to be conferred with the ‘Friend of Sri Lanka' award by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the WSF's next managing committee would be held in the island nation in late January.

Also present at the press briefing were Andrew Shelly (CEO) and George Mieras (Secretary-General).