The seedings have been announced for the squash competitions at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, which begin in Chile on 31 October.

In the men’s event, defending champion and former World No.1 Diego Elias of Peru is favoured to retain his gold medal, with the 26-year-old travelling to Santiago as the top seed.

Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez, an individual gold medalist in 2011 and 2015 and a team gold medalist in 2007, is seeded second, with Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas and USA’s Timothy Brownell the 3/4 seeds.

In the women’s draw, North America dominates the top seedings.

USA’s Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Fiechter are seeded one and two respectively with Sobhy, 30, heading to Chile looking to become the first ever squash player to win three consecutive Pan American singles titles.

Canadian duo Hollie Naughton and Nicole Bunyan go in as the 3/4 seeds.

For hosts Chile, hopes rest with unseeded duo Jose Gallegos and Matias Lacroix in the men’s draw and Giselle Delgado and Anita Pinto, also unseeded, in the women’s.

In the doubles, Mexico are favourites to win gold in both the men’s and women’s doubles, while Canada are top seeds in the mixed doubles.

In the team events, Colombia – runners up in 2019 – are top seeds in the men’s event, with defending champions USA the favourites in the women’s event.

Click here for more information on the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games (Español) and here for the English language page.

Seeds: Men’s Singles – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
PER [1] Diego Elias
COL [2] Miguel Rodriguez
MEX [3/4] Leonel Cardenas
USA [3/4] Timothy Brownell
CAN [5/8] David Baillargeon
ARG [5/8 Leandro Romiglio
MEX [5/8] Cesar Salazar
COL [5/8] Juan Vargas
USA [9/12] Todd Harrity
ARG [9/12] Jeremías Azaña
*EAI [9/12] Josué Enríquez
*EAI [9/12] Alejandro Enríquez
PER Alonso Escudero
MEX Arturo Salazar
CHI Jose Gallegos
CAN George Crowne
CHI Matías Lacroix

Seeds: Women’s Singles – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
USA [1] Amanda Sobhy
USA [2] Olivia Fiechter
CAN [3/4] Hollie Naughton
CAN [3/4] Nicole Bunyan
USA [5/8] Marina Stefanoni
MEX [5/8] Diana Garcia
COL [5/8] Laura Tovar 5/8
COL [5/8] Lucia Bautista
BAR [9/12] Meagan Best
*EAI [9/12] Winifer Bonilla
ECU [9/12] Maria Moya
MEX [9/12] Sarahi Lopez
CHI Giselle Delgado
BAR Margot Parow
CHI Anita Pinto
*EAI Tabita Gaitan
ECU Cari Buenaño

Seeds: Men’s Doubles – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
[1] Mexico
[2] *EAI
[3/4] Argentina
[3/4] USA
Canada
Peru
Colombia
Chile

Seeds: Women’s Doubles – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
[1] Mexico
[2] Colombia
[3/4] USA
[3/4 Draw] Canada
[3/4 Draw] Barbados
[3/4 Draw] Ecuador
*EAI
Chile

Seeds: Mixed Doubles – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
[1] Canada
[2] Colombia
[3/4] Mexico
[3/4] *EAI
Chile
USA

Seeds: Men’s Team – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
[1] Colombia
[2] Peru
[3/4] USA
[3/4] Argentina
[5/6] Mexico
[5/6] Canada
[7/8] *EAI
[7/8] Chile

Seeds: Women’s Team – Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
[1] USA
[2] Canada
[3/4] Barbados
[3/4] Colombia
[5/6] Mexico
[5/6] Ecuador
[7/8] *EAI
[7/8] Chile

*Athletes from Guatemala are competing in the Independent Athletes Team following the suspension of Guatemala’s NOC.

Squash players are known as some of the fittest athletes on the planet, with the fast-paced action delighting crowds around the world.

However, that action can only be enjoyed when there is a level playing field.

On 09 November, the World Squash Federation (WSF) is partnering with the International Testing Agency (ITA) to deliver a Clean Sport Education Webinar.

Topics will include education on anti-doping and best Clean Sport Practices, the importance of supporting athletes to compete and stay clean, and the roles and responsibilities of national federations.

To accommodate attendees from around the world, there will be two webinars containing the same content – the schedule is as follows:

Thursday, 09 November 2023, 09:00 – 10:00 CET: Click here to sign up.

Thursday, 09 November 2023 15:00-16:00 CET: Click here to sign up.

If you have any questions or need help for registering, please contact admin@worldsquash.org

Keep up with the latest in World Squash news by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

The great Nicol David once famously revealed that she would happily trade all eight of her World Championship titles for just one Olympic gold.

Current World No.1 Nour El Sherbini is hot on her heels with seven World Championship titles already attached to her name, and now faces the real possibility of fulfilling David’s Olympic dream.

But whether she would swap all seven of her World Championship titles to bring back gold to Egypt is another matter entirely.

After a long pause to reflect, El Sherbini answered this very question: “That’s a tough one, but I think so yes.

“Winning an Olympic medal, it’s everything. What I have done for my whole career just to win one Olympic medal, yes, I agree with her [Nicol].

“It’s a dream actually. I am super excited, super happy and I have already started counting the years so I can see how long I have and if I will still be there or not, but I will definitely try to make sure that I am still playing.

“I wasn’t expecting to stay that long [El Sherbini will be 32 years old when LA28 begins] but now I will definitely try and make sure that I am still playing and still fit.”

El Sherbini, who was World No.1 for 31 months between 2016 and 2018 and 17 months between 2020-2022, is once again currently at the top of the rankings after winning two of the opening three Platinum titles of the season, as well as the Gold-level Grasshopper Cup yesterday.

And at the age of 27, it is hard to imagine an Egyptian team without the renowned ‘Warrior Princess’ at the heart of it.

El Sherbini has been an ever-present figure in Egyptian success over the last decade, having been a member of Egypt’s WSF Women’s World Team Championship-winning squad on four occasions, and the successful World Junior Championship team a further three times.

And although El Sherbini admitted that she would be extremely proud to add an Olympic gold to this list, she accepted that a lot can still change between now and the LA28 Games.

“It would mean the world to me,” the Alexandrian said. “It’s the biggest stage for any athlete and it was always a dream to play in the Olympics.

“We tried a lot of times [to get into the Olympics] and failed but now we have finally made it and it will mean everything for me. It would definitely be the last Olympics that I would ever play, so it would be the best ending for my career I think.”

“Everyone has been saying that if squash was in the Olympics, Egypt would get more medals.

“But you never think of it like this because the Olympics is every four years and you never know how this year is going to be, how you’re playing, your performance and how other players are changing.

“I think every one of us will do their best, give their everything to get a medal for their country and if we manage to get one we will be very proud.”

In their decision, the IOC noted that squash had enjoyed “spectacular growth over the last few years, especially among young people” – a point which is further highlighted by the fact that each of the top four in the men’s rankings hail from different continents, while three continents are represented in the top five of the women’s rankings.

El Sherbini is hopeful that the decision to grant squash a position in the Olympics could help the sport to grow even further and gain yet more attention from all corners of the world.

On why squash suits the Olympics so well, she added: “I think our sport has everything. I think it is very entertaining, it’s just one court, it can be put in a lot of places and amazing venues all over the world, outdoors and indoors.

“You see a lot of perspective when you are on court, there is a lot happening behind the scenes and the game has changed a lot recently. There is a lot more physicality and it is more enjoyable for people to watch.

“It is very easy to set a tournament with a lot of players in, a lot of people coming. It has everything to be in the Olympics.”

“I think it will definitely get more people interested in watching squash. Getting into the Olympics will get more people learning about the rules of squash, interested in the players and the tournaments and I think squash is growing all over the world and it is time to get it in the Olympics to get it even bigger.”

Keep up with the latest in World Squash news by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

As a child, it was Georgina Kennedy’s dream to compete in the Olympic Games.

Although this was initially with a view to compete on the running track and not within the four walls of a squash court, Kennedy’s love for the Olympics was clear for all to see.

When she stepped back from running to focus solely on a squash, Kennedy thought that these career aspirations had disappeared, but the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to add squash to the LA28 roster may finally have turned her dreams into reality.

Upon hearing the news about squash’s proposal to the Olympic Games, the World No.8 said: “It’s not just going to be huge for me on a personal level but also for the game in general.

“Hopefully it is going to transform the game, a lot more money can be invested into it and we can showcase our amazing sport. I honestly thought it would never be the case for me [to be able to compete for an Olympic medal].

“When I was younger I was quite a competitive runner and my dream was to be an Olympian. My bedsheets and my curtains in my room were the Olympic rings, like I genuinely grew up with that being a massive dream of mine, and when I gave up running I thought I also gave up that dream.

“There’s that little girl screaming inside of me, but it is still five years away so it’s a long time to stress about it and think about selection!”

Kennedy, 26, has already enjoyed prior success when representing her country, becoming the first Englishwoman to win a Commonwealth Games squash singles title with her victory over Canada’s Hollie Naughton at Birmingham 2022.

The England No.1 also competed in two further events that fortnight, reaching the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles alongside Lucy Turmel, and the last-sixteen of the mixed doubles event with Patrick Rooney.

On the difference between competing on the PSA World Tour and a team events such as the Commonwealth Games, Kennedy said: “It was a hugely different experience.

“At the Commonwealth Games I won the women’s singles, which is similar to a PSA event when you are playing in the women’s singles, but you are also there as a team, and a wider team England, and for the Olympics it is going to be for team Great Britain.

“You constantly feel like you have the full support of the team around, whereas on the PSA you can travel to different countries on your own and you sometimes don’t have people in your corner supporting you, so it’s completely different.

“It was the best two weeks of my life, no doubt.”

The 26-year-old, who is currently England No.1 and achieved a career-high ranking of No.6 in the world last month, believes squash is a sport that is tailor-made for the Olympics and can only benefit from it’s inclusion in Los Angeles in five years’ time.

“I think it is super exciting to watch,” she said. “It’s high paced, there’s lots of action, it’s a niche sport, and lots of the Olympic sports are pretty niche as well which is really exciting.

“The Olympics is a place for athletes from every sport to showcase their talent and squash also deserves that opportunity, so I just think we need to show the world what an amazing sport it is, so we can finally get that exposure that we deserve.”

Keep up with the latest in World Squash news by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

One week ago, the global squash community came together to celebrate 2023 World Squash Day.

Throughout the week, clubs around the world have been sending in their photos and videos – scroll down to see some of the celebrations from around the world.

Contact media@worldsquash.org to have your World Squash Day photos and videos added to the page.

Squash stars Tinne Gilis and Eain Yow Ng explained the importance of choosing the right ball

In Tehran, the “Every Family, a Squash Team” World Squash Day festival promoted the game in around the city.

The World Games highlighted the incredible viewing experience of an all glass court

"Happy #WorldSquashDay!
TWG's squash court is designed for optimal viewer experience & TV quality. The secret? While spectators relish a clear view, dotted lamination ensures players inside spot the white ball flawlessly! #WeAreTheWorldGames @WorldSquash pic.twitter.com/YoBlDiRYeH

— The World Games (@TheWorldGames) October 14, 2023

World Squash Day “a la Black Ball” at Black Ball Sporting Club, Egypt

World Squash Day "à la Black Ball"! pic.twitter.com/tL9bKRxBnT

— Black Ball Squash (@BlackBallSquash) October 14, 2023

Achimota Squash Club, Ghana

With some youth players and national executives at the launch of the Youth Development Initiative by the Ghana Squash Association. #WorldSquashDay #SquashInGhana #Squash pic.twitter.com/2tBQq8gB67

— Achimota Squash Club (@achimotasquash) October 14, 2023

SQ-ASSIST, Kurashiki City, Japan

Wold Squash Day#WorldSquashDay#WorldSquashDay2023 pic.twitter.com/UgHXNJACIL

— SQ-ASSIST (@SQASSIST) October 14, 2023

Retro squash from Allander Squash Club, Glasgow, Scotland

World Squash Day 2023! To celebrate WSD23, Scottish Squash would like to see clubs using retro rackets and wearing retro outfits today, tagging @scottishsquash.
(Some of the older generation can just wear their usual clothes!)
@squash_republic @worldsquashday @wsfworldsquash pic.twitter.com/pzARXkL6ul

— Allander Squash (@AllanderSquash) October 14, 2023

Lakeshore Club, Chicago, USA

Belgravia Squash Academy, Harare, Zimbabwe

Our humble contributions to the development of the next generation of Squash players #WorldSquashDay pic.twitter.com/bWrappTrLj

— Belgravia Squash Academy (@BelgraviaSquash) October 17, 2023

Kitakyushu, Japan

Serangoon Gardens Country Club, Singapore

Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ), Mantin, Malaysia

What a beautiful message from these young squash players from Malaysia. Led by WSD ambassador Harleein Tan, they speak eloquently and passionately about their love of squash, the inspirational qualities of role models like Nicol David and Ali Farag, and the sport's Olympic aims. pic.twitter.com/zer4p3cFRD

— WorldSquashDay (@WorldSquashDay) October 15, 2023

A huge fundraising effort from Sam Hill, who ran a marathon on a squash court to raise money for UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust

Good luck Sam Hill

Running a marathon today on a squash court raising money for teenage cancer trust #marathon@englandsquash @ClubRedcar @TeenageCancer @DandCsquash pic.twitter.com/R6pzbQ67Sh

— Russ Thompson (@RussTho01075365) October 14, 2023

Jerudong International School Squash, Brunei

Great afternoon's @WorldSquashDay in Brunei with our World cup of squash. Players competed in 'Frantic squash' (2 minute games), Squicket and the sprint challenge. – Proud to announce our World champions as Brunei 3!!! More importantly great to see the courts and viewing packed pic.twitter.com/5ZEfOzAuJa

— JIS Squash Brunei (@JISsquashBrunei) October 14, 2023

Squash legend Qamar Zaman leads World Squash Day celebrations in Pakistan

Happy #WorldSquashDay!

Today we’re encouraging the community to come together and get their #GameOn

Hitting the court? Tag us in your photos! pic.twitter.com/H4W953QLW2

— England Squash (@englandsquash) October 14, 2023

Have you got squash photos and videos from World Squash Day that you want to share? If so, send them to media@worldsquash.org to get them added to the page!

Although Ali Farag is unsure whether he will still be playing squash come the LA28 Olympic Games, he remains insistent the momentous decision is a major turning point in the sport’s history.

Squash’s inclusion on the LA28 Olympic roster is a historic milestone for squash, with the International Olympic Committee officially ratifying the LA28 Organising Committee’s recommendation on Monday.

World No.1 Farag, a four-time World Champion and two-time World Team Champion, admitted that the Olympic decision can raise the sport’s profile significantly in the long-run.

“It can definitely grow the sport big time,” he said.

“I mean it’s going to have a lot more attention from the media, it’s going to have a lot more attention from the governments. You see what the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Am Games and the likes of it transcends to our sport and then the Olympic Games, as we said, is bigger than them all.

“Squash has got everything. It’s got all the skill sets you need. The stamina, the endurance, the technical ability, the mental challenge. It has everything in the book.

“You want to watch an athletic sport, it’s on legs. You want to watch something that requires a very high IQ, you watch chess. We combine both, and in my opinion, bring the most beautiful sport in the world.”

On a personal note, Farag, who turned 31 in April, will take it one step at a time on the road to LA28, with the World No.1 remaining unsure whether he will still be at the peak of his powers or whether he might have checked out of the game by the time the quadrennial event comes around.

The Egyptian has enjoyed prior success when representing his country, being a part of Egypt’s World Team Championship-winning squads in 2017 and 2019 – coming away victorious from both his finals singles matches in the process.

And despite remaining determined to try and represent Egypt in 2028 no matter his age, Farag was quick to insist he cared more about how the decision could positively impact the sport than his own personal ambitions.

He said: “I think it’s a dream for any squash player or any athlete really to raise their flag on the Olympic stage, the biggest of all.

“It means absolutely everything. You’ve heard Nicol David once saying, ‘I would trade all my eight world championships for an Olympic gold medal,’ and it shows how big of a thing it is.

“Obviously, whether I’m going to be there or not is a big question. Of course, I’m not getting any younger. But it’s not about me here. It’s about our sport.”

“I never thought I was going to play until the mid-30’s, but then now that you have the Olympics on the line, there’s something you don’t want to miss, so I’ll keep pushing for it.

“Whether I’m going to be able to still be at the top of my game at the age of 36 is a big question mark, but I’ll do my very best to be there.”

Although the LA28 Olympics isn’t a home event on paper for Farag, the 31-year-old has a fond relationship with the United States, having spent his junior years studying at Harvard University, winning his first World Championship title in Chicago in 2019, and his wife Nour El Tayeb having given birth to their child Farida in the very same city.

On the potential of playing in Los Angeles in five years’ time, Farag said: “Yeah, obviously the United States means a lot to me.

“I’ve studied here, I’ve had a lot of success here as well and LA is such a beautiful city as well, so to raise my country’s flag in LA in 2028 would be a dream.

“I’ll be 36 at the time, so hopefully I can do it, but obviously it’s too early to say anything.”

Keep up with the latest in World Squash news by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

“I think it’s a bit of disbelief, to be honest,” Amanda Sobhy said after hearing the news that squash had been recommended for inclusion in the LA28 Olympic Games.

“When you have been working so hard for so many years to try and get into every Olympic Games and to only be rejected, the fact that we finally made the five sports recommended for LA in 2028, it was a shock.

“You almost can’t believe it, but the fact that it is happening is a dream come true.”

The decision to grant squash a place on the LA28 Olympic sports programme is a significant and exciting milestone in the sport’s history, with squash set to be played in the Olympics for the very first time.

After being named alongside cricket, baseball/softball, flag football and lacrosse as one of the five sports to be recommended for inclusion at LA28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed the decision to grant squash its place on Monday.

Sobhy, who was a key figure in squash’s official Olympic campaign, is one of squash’s best known players, having led USA to their first ever WSF Women’s World Team Championship final last December and has 20 PSA World Tour titles to her name.

The New Yorker will be 35 by the time the LA28 Olympics arrives, but any thoughts of retirement before then have been firmly put on the back burner.

“I think it means I am going to prolong retirement a little bit more because it is everything that you can dream of as an athlete,” she said.

“To be able to compete in the Olympics, be able to compete for Olympic gold medal, and to be able to say you were an Olympian, that is something that no one can ever take away from you.”

If getting squash on the Olympic roster wasn’t already exciting enough for the U.S. No.1, Sobhy has the added prospect of potentially playing in her home country in front of her home fans.

The World No.5 has already shown this season that she thrives amid the added pressure of playing in America, finishing runner-up at the South Western Open in Houston and reaching the semi-finals of the Platinum-level event, the U.S. Open presented by TRUIST, in Philadelphia.

Sobhy has also enjoyed huge levels of success when representing her country, becoming the first squash player to ever win three gold medals at a single Pan American Games back in 2015 in Toronto.

And with fellow Americans Olivia Fiechter (World No.9), Olivia Clyne (World No.13) and Amanda’s sister Sabrina Sobhy (World No.14) all currently thriving on the PSA Tour, the platform has been set for a strong American showing in 2028.

“Oh my god, it’s amazing,” Sobhy said on the prospect of playing in Los Angeles.

“It would be so exciting. I’d love competing in front of friends and family with a home crowd and it would just be so meaningful, especially because that would probably be one of the last events in my career.

“And to be able to say that I finish off my career with the Olympics is really just like a dream come true.

“Also the fact that the U.S. players are doing really well, it helps with LA28. I hope it will increase the exposure for the sport in America. I hope it gets the marketing it deserves, gets the recognition it deserves, and the money it deserves.”

For years, squash has just missed out on a spot in the Olympic Games, with sports such as golf, rugby sevens and wrestling all getting the nod on separate occasions.

However, Sobhy is insistent that squash can become a staple feature at the Olympic Games and that the recent decision can also aid the sport’s growth in the long run.

“I think it’s such a global sport. I think if you’re looking at the overall nature of the sport, the sport is so fast-paced, so dynamic, there’s so much fitness, skill and tactics required – it embodies everything about a sport.

“It’s also so global; it’s played all over the world, it’s not heavily concentrated in one area, or just in the Americas.

“I hope that it will completely elevate the nature of the sport, elevate us as players, give us the money that we deserve because we work so hard for it. I also hope the sport gets the recognition it deserves because it’s a fantastic sport and I just feel like the Olympics will help it a tonne.”

Keep up with the latest in World Squash news by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

England Squash has launched two national programmes, Squash from the Mosque and Mixed Ability Squash, to help clubs introduce more people to the many benefits of playing squash.

Sport England research highlights that two in five people from ethnically diverse communities feel they have fewer opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity than people from a white background.

Similarly, adults with a disability are almost twice as likely to be inactive compared to adults without a disability.

Squash from the Mosque and Mixed Ability Squash will help overcome these challenges by taking the game into the heart of local communities and connecting clubs with community groups and faith centres to co-create and deliver relevant and regular activity.

In a bid to drive meaningful change across the sport, England Squash has collaborated with Calder Community Squash and International Mixed Ability Sport (IMAS) to design the programmes and provide educational resources, best practice and promotional assets to support clubs nationwide to deliver them.

Through the programmes, clubs will be supported to engage their local community and deliver welcoming and inclusive sessions which meet the needs of people who face barriers to playing, including people with disabilities and those from ethnically diverse communities.

The programmes are available nationwide with additional support in areas that have high proportions of people from the relevant groups. Clubs in areas including London, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the Midlands will have the opportunity to apply for funding from England Squash, plus receive dedicated on-the-ground support from Calder Community Squash and IMAS to enhance their sessions.

Jo Rowbottom, Head of Partnerships and Communities at England Squash said: “People with disabilities and people from ethnically diverse communities face some of the biggest barriers to participating in sport. Our new programmes are designed to tackle these inequalities by supporting clubs to develop local relationships and co-create opportunities so that many more people can enjoy our great game.

“The resources and support we have created will provide clubs with the knowhow and confidence to engage these groups and provide regular and sustainable opportunities for people to play in a supportive and welcoming space.

“These programmes are a great opportunity for clubs to reach new audiences and become more representative of their local community whilst also getting more people on court.”

Aron Harper-Robinson from Calder Community Squash, who spearheaded the Squash from the Mosque pilot programme, said: “By opening the doors to a wider and more diverse audience, our club Old Crossleyans has become more connected with the local community, which has helped it flourish and grow.

“Around 75 people have come to the club through our Squash from the Mosque programme with at least half going on to acquire both individual and family memberships.

“By working with England Squash, we’re now able to support clubs to emulate this success on a national scale through these two amazing programmes. It’s exciting times and we can’t wait to get going!”

Mark Goodwin, CEO at IMAS said, “We are so enthused by this fantastic opportunity to partner with England Squash – a governing body that is taking a progressive approach and developing truly inclusive squash activities for disabled people.

“Following the Mixed Ability Squash pilot, the Mixed Ability approach has already begun to gain traction across a number of squash clubs, with many seeing a more diverse and inclusive playing community.

“We’re thrilled to work alongside England Squash to develop the national programme and provide support and knowledge to the participating clubs to enable more disabled people to step on court.

“It’s so important to invest in the people in your communities. The clubs who’ve already begun this journey have not just expanded their membership, they have diversified the offer, attracting players who otherwise would never have crossed the threshold.”

Find out more about Squash from the Mosque and Mixed Ability Squash.