China chiefs turn to Hong Kong for help growing squash team ahead of 2028 LA Olympics
There are just 150 squash courts across mainland China, while Hong Kong has 450, as well as men and women ranked inside the world top 40
Mainland China “needs the support of Hong Kong” as the country looks to establish a squash team that could compete at the 2028 Olympics, the vice-president of the sport’s world governing body has said.
David Mui Ying-yuen met Liu Guoyong, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China and vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee in Beijing, to discuss how to better the game on the mainland.
However, Mui, who will step down from his role as president of the Asian Squash Federation and the Squash Association of Hong Kong, China this year, said the mainland’s best player could only challenge for a title at the under-13 level in Hong Kong.
“The first thing that China needs to do is build more squash courts … right now there are 150 courts in [mainland China], but Hong Kong has around 450,” the World Squash Federation (WSF) boss said. “If there’s no squash courts, you can’t develop the sport but they’re going to build around 300 to 400 courts in the next two years.
“There’s going to be a squash boom in China but they need support from Hong Kong because the standard is just like a primary school [level], but they are improving fast.
“It’s hard to tell [whether they can send a team to the Olympics], their No 1 player is a young lady, 17 years old, and if she’s in Hong Kong she can probably play at the under 15 level or be an under 13 champion.”
