Pakistani duo stars Noor Zaman and Hamza Khan among talents competing for a place
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD:The Olympic Qualification System (OQS) for the squash competition at the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, to be held July 15-24 2028, has been announced following approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting at its meeting on 01 February in Milan, Italy.
The OQS will consist of five possible routes to qualification, subject to conditions: Continental Games, Host Country Quota, World Rankings, Universality Places, and a Final World Qualifying Tournament.
In its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, the squash competition will see 16-athlete draws for men’s singles and women’s singles, staged at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios.
The OQS was developed by World Squash and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and aims to achieve an optimal balance between inclusion of the best athletes and representation of as many National Olympic Committees (NOCs) as possible across the 16 athletes in each competition. A minimum of two and a maximum of three NOCs will receive a quota of two athletes per gender, subject to meeting conditions, with all others receiving a quota of one.
Five athletes per gender will qualify via their respective Continental Games: The Asian Games (Nagoya, Japan, September 19-04 October 2026); the African Games (Cairo, Egypt, January 20-07 February 2027); the European Games (Istanbul, Turkey, June 2027); the Pan-American Games (Lima, Peru, July 16-01 August 2027); and the Pacific Games (Pirae, Tahiti, July 24-08 August 2027).
As host, the USA, via the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, receives a quota of at least one athlete per gender, subject to conditions.
A further eight athletes per gender will qualify based on their PSA World Ranking and one universality place per gender will be available to eligible NOCs.
The remaining one quota place per gender will be decided via a 24-athlete final qualification tournament, to be held June 06-10 2028.
World Squash President Zena Wooldridge said: “We are very conscious of the huge suspense and anticipation amongst athletes, coaches and federations regarding squash’s Olympic Qualification System, which reflects the excitement across the whole squash community for the sport’s Olympic debut.
“For many, the Olympic dream will feel one step closer today, as squash stars around the world can begin plotting a course for a place in sporting history in Los Angeles."
