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LEE_3 Column Left 25/09/2012 17:53 Page 1

FEATURE Against the odds

Mike Lee, the man behind squash’s bid for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics, tells Rod Gilmour to ignore the bookies’ early favouritism for ind back to a September morning “You just can’t predict the outcome is played to fantastic levels of fitness. It’s in 2009, when four bidding cities from this far out. We are still early on in a game of great strategy.” Ware set to find out who will host the process and squash has been As we will see in the aftermath of the 2016 Olympics. Copenhagen, venue campaigning over a quite considerable London 2012 with some of the niche for the International Olympic Committee’s amount of time with previous applications. sports, the level of interest from television executive board session, is just waking up But we are ahead of the other sports - Lee believes that squash should find a and on morning TV, a news network is promoting themselves.” slot on broadcasters such as Eurosport in interviewing a bookmaker. Chicago is the A figure has yet to be made public over the not-too-distant future - also depends firm favourite, says the odds-layer. how much Vero have been paid, but it’s on whether you are an Olympic sport or Meanwhile, an unflustered Mike Lee, fair to assume that the WSF have pushed not. As Lee says, it hinges on “where the lobbyist behind squash’s Olympic push the boat out this time round. medallists are energising a country of for 2020, is watching from his hotel in the The positive starting point, Lee says, national heroes.” Danish capital. Hours later, Rio – whose was the WSF’s approach in the first It’s a sobering thought when you bid Lee masterminded – gets the nod and instance. “They were aware of a number consider that Britain continues to churn Chicago falls with a whimper, accruing just of mega bids we did,” he adds. “It was out victory after victory on the PSA World 18 votes as the ‘Windy City’ becomes the clear that they recognised that they Tour, but Lee is right on the money once first of the quartet to be eliminated. needed a much more professional more. With every passing month under Not even a late appearance from US campaign now that the PSA and WSA are Lee’s stewardship, those karate odds President Barack Obama could seal the on a joint campaign. seem ever so optimistic. deal. Instead, it was then-Brazilian “I firmly believe squash will be a great president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who Olympic sport. What we bring is a was left to wipe away tears of joy. “I’ve combination of winning campaigns, how never known a bookie get it right in my we structure and integrate it, and how we time,” Lee recalls with a smile, after yet put the themes together.” another bid success. To understand those perspectives on a Lee’s tale is sparked by a report global scale, Lee was present at the Luxor published in the week that we meet at the Theater to soak up the atmosphere at last bright central London offices of his year’s World Open in Rotterdam. He came company, Vero. According to one Olympic away impressed. website, karate is the odds-on favourite to “The viewing was great in Rotterdam HONG KONG TEST land the one new sport slot on offer for and I had time between matches to go 2020 inclusion. “You can’t take that behind the scenes too,” he says. “There The $220,000 , seriously where things stand,” is Lee’s was very good use of the high-definition which runs from November 25 to response. screen and super slow-mo. The players December 2, has been chosen by the came off and did good interviews. You felt International Olympic Committee as very close to the action.” squash's test event for the sport's Lee doesn’t deal in long-winded 2020 Olympic bid. assertions. He knows where the sport has IOC inspectors will be judging how gone wrong in front of the Olympic family squash stages and presents a major before and it’s spelt out at the end of - the Hong Kong Open is squash’s 2020 bid brochure in capital one of the longest-running on the PSA letters: and WSA World Tours - with a view to ‘SQUASH HAS LISTENED AND its suitability to join the Olympic LEARNT’. Games programme. “The squash world is united in wanting “The two IOC representatives will this and it’s all about getting across to the report back to the IOC Programme players the importance of it,” he says. Commission and Executive Board,” “You always have to remember your explained audience. CEO Andrew Shelley. “It is one “But the feedback has been very element of the process that includes positive. There is a long way to go, but the questionnaire, followed by two squash is innovating and changing itself to presentations to the above boards, make it much more consumer-friendly.” featuring videos we have made. Then it’s back to another declaration, “We also get an opportunity to a series of uplifting positives that make present our case on the value we you wonder how squash is would bring to the greatest sporting continually bidding for Olympic show on earth.” inclusion alongside the likes of ’s is the and . defending champion for the $150,000 “Squash is a sport which PSA World Series Platinum event, will bring new countries to the while ’s is the medal podium,” he says. “It is title-holder of the $70,000 WSA World gladiatorial, truly athletic, has a Series Gold championship. recognised scoring system and 9 THE SQUASH PLAYER