World Squash Day Date in the current year: October 12, 2024

Squash is a racket-and-ball sport that developed from the older game of rackets, which began at a pastime in London’s debtors’ prisons in the 18th century. At some point, rackets became popular outside of prisons and spread to schools, where squash was born. The game of squash was invented around 1830 by boys at Harrow School, who noticed that a punctured ball, which “squashed” upon impact with the wall, made the game more interesting.

Squash is played by two or four players in a four-walled court. The players use rackets and a small hallow ball made of rubber. There are different types of squash balls depending on their levels of “bounce”, which is denoted by colored dots on the ball: “blue-dot” balls have the most bounce and are recommended for beginners and junior players, whereas “orange-dot” balls have the least bounce and are only recommended for playing at high altitudes. The “double yellow-dot” ball has been the standard ball for professional competitions since 2001.

The international regulating body for the sport of squash is the World Squash Federation (WSF), founded in 1967. Although the WSF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for squash, squash is not an Olympic sport yet, despite continued lobbying from squash players and associations. However, it has been featured at other multi-sport events such as the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, the World Games, and the Pan American Games.

Major squash tournaments are organized by the WSF or by the Professional Squash Association (PSA), the governing body for the professional squash circuit. The two organizations work closely together to coordinate the world calendar for squash events. The biggest squash events include the World Squash Championship, the PSA World Tour Finals, and the WSF World Team Squash Championships.

World Squash Day was established by a group of squash friends in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Among those who died during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center were many squash players, including Derek Sword, a former junior international from Dundee, Scotland. World Squash Day was launched in their honor, as well as to promote the game.

The inaugural World Squash Day was held in 2002 at the Lambs Squash Club in London, which sadly closed in 2007 and has since been demolished. It featured a professional tournament and a 15-a-side game between teams from New York and London that competed for the Derek Sword Trophy. Since the first event, the observance has become truly international, with tournaments, demonstrations, master classes, and other events and activities held by squash clubs around the globe.

There are many ways to celebrate World Squash Day. You can learn more about this exciting game, play a game or two of squash with friends, join your local squash club, share your experiences with squash on social media, and post about the holiday with the hashtag #WorldSquashDay to spread the word.