Explained: How to qualify for 2028 LA Olympics in Squash?

The Olympic Qualification System (OQS) for squash at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has been officially confirmed, setting out how players will earn their places for the sport’s historic Olympic debut.

Squash will feature men’s singles and women’s singles at LA28, with 16 athletes in each draw. In total, 32 players will compete across both events, including host nation and universality entries.

The qualification framework has been approved by the International Olympic Committee and published by World Squash, and it aims to balance the presence of the world’s best players with broader international representation.

The squash competition at the LA28 Olympic Games will take place from 15 to 24 July 2028 and will be staged at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. This will mark the first time squash appears on the Olympic programme.

A total of 16 quota places are available per gender. This includes 14 standard quota places, along with one host country place and one universality place for both men and women. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) is allowed to enter a maximum of two athletes per gender, although in most cases countries will be restricted to just one player in each event. Only a small number of nations will be able to field two players, depending on ranking positions and how quota places are allocated.

How players can qualify for squash at the LA28 Olympics

There are five separate qualification routes for both the men’s and women’s competitions. These routes are applied in a fixed order and are subject to eligibility conditions.

The first pathway is through the Continental Games. Five athletes per gender will qualify by winning their respective continental events.

The qualifying tournaments are:

• Asian Games – Nagoya, Japan (19 September – 4 October 2026)
• African Games – Cairo, Egypt (20 January – 7 February 2027)
• European Games – Istanbul, Türkiye (June 2027)
• Pan-American Games – Lima, Peru (16 July – 1 August 2027)
• Pacific Games – Pirae, Tahiti (24 July – 8 August 2027)

The winners of each continental event will be awarded a quota place, provided they meet the eligibility and ranking requirements. If a continental champion does not meet the conditions, the place passes to the next eligible athlete from that tournament.

The second pathway is the host country allocation. As hosts, the United States are guaranteed at least one quota place per gender, subject to meeting eligibility requirements. The host nation may still earn additional places through the ranking pathway or the final qualification tournament.

The third and largest pathway is through the PSA World Rankings. A total of eight athletes per gender will qualify based on the PSA World Rankings published on 22 May 2028. The ranking allocation is structured to ensure that no nation exceeds the two-athlete limit per gender and that quota places already obtained through continental events or host allocation are taken into account. Special rules apply when allocating second-player spots so that only two or, in certain scenarios, three nations can field two athletes.

The fourth route is the universality place, with one quota place per gender reserved to support wider global participation. Eligible NOCs must apply for these places, and athletes selected under this route must still satisfy the minimum eligibility and ranking standards.

The fifth and final route is the Final World Qualifying Tournament. One remaining quota place per gender will be decided through this tournament, which will be held from 6 to 10 June 2028. Each draw will consist of 24 athletes, selected from nations that have not yet secured a quota place through the earlier stages. Only the winner in each event will qualify for the Olympic Games.

Eligibility rules and key dates

To be eligible for selection, athletes must comply with the Olympic Charter and anti-doping regulations. In most cases, players must also be ranked inside the top 50 of the PSA World Rankings at the qualification cut-off date of 22 May 2028. Limited exceptions apply only in specific scenarios linked to ranking reallocation, universality entries and the final qualification tournament.

World Squash will publish the list of athletes who have secured quota places through the continental events, host allocation, rankings and universality routes on 22 May 2028. Following the conclusion of the Final World Qualifying Tournament in June, the last two quota places will be confirmed and communicated to the relevant NOCs.

The wider qualification timeline begins with the Asian Games in September 2026 and runs through all five continental events in 2026 and 2027.

The ranking cut-off and first confirmation stage takes place on 22 May 2028, followed by the final qualifying tournament in early June. The official sport entries deadline for LA28 is 26 June 2028, before the Olympic Games begin in July.

With only 16 players per draw, the LA28 squash qualification system places enormous importance on both continental competitions and world rankings.

The structure is designed to ensure that squash’s first Olympic tournament features elite-level quality while also giving emerging nations a meaningful opportunity to be represented on the sport’s biggest stage.

Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh are currently India’s strongest prospects if they continue to improve or hold strong international rankings by the qualification cut-off.