Squash won't just win India medals; it will set a benchmark | By Ramit Tandon

The Commonwealth Games are underway, and over the last few weeks, as the multi-sport event gathered momentum amid the political unrest in our country, I've been asked the same questions repeatedly: How's the preparation going?

When do you fly to Glasgow? Shouldn't you already be there?

There's nothing wrong with those questions, but they sting a little. While I'm excited to watch some non-cricket sport unfold finally, I can't help but feel the disappointment of not having my sport in the mix this time around.

In Indian sport, there are two major multi-sport cycles: the Asian Games/Commonwealth Games cycle and the Olympic cycle. Each comes around once every four years.

How squash got squeezed out

The Commonwealth Games Federation hasn't been particularly vocal about it, but Glasgow 2026 was never meant to host these Games.

Victoria, Australia, was originally awarded the event before pulling out in 2023 over spiralling costs. Malaysia was next in line but also declined, leaving Glasgow to step in and salvage the edition.

To make the financial package work, organisers trimmed the programme to just ten sports across four venues, a significant reduction from the 20 sports Birmingham hosted in 2022. Racket sports were among the biggest casualties.

Squash, badminton and table tennis were all dropped, alongside hockey, cricket, wrestling, shooting and several others.

Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games on a budget of £543 million, while Birmingham 2022 cost £929.7 million to stage, including legacy activities. Glasgow 2026, by comparison, is expected to be delivered for around £150 million, with £100 million coming from the Commonwealth Games Federation and the rest through commercial revenue.

It will also be the first Commonwealth Games staged without government funding.

However, I do not think that, when we consider the overall growth of sport, slashing certain events due to financial constraints is a wise measure.

It goes against the spirit of the Games, and if the Games are seeing such constraints, maybe look at it from the lens of changing the structure to make it more affordable?

For example, could organisers scale back the entertainment surrounding the opening and closing ceremonies?

Well, I’m not the right person to analyse the finances, but all I’m saying is it’s a little sad as an athlete/sports lover to see one of the major multi-sporting events having to compromise due to lack of sponsors or budget-related issues.

2030 is the fight that actually matters

That's one side of the story. But for squash, the bigger battle lies ahead.

India will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and squash may or may not be included.

That's surprising because the sport is finally set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.

A sport that is finally making its Olympic debut may see itself out of the CWG? In addition to that the pressure to compete with the insane growth of pickleball and paddle across the world.

India, as the host, does have a say in the sports they would like to have in the 2030 CWG, and more than the financial aspect, we would be looking at it from a medal perspective.

Squash can't get more "Commonwealth" than it already is, a British sport, played at elite clubs the world over. If a sport like this doesn't have a place at the Commonwealth Games, I wonder if the Games are staying true to their own spirit.

We've medaled at every edition since 2014, and with doubles events likely in the mix again, I'd back India to be a genuine contender for more.

And when you look at squash through India's lens, the record speaks for itself: a gold in women's doubles in 2014, a women's doubles silver and a mixed doubles silver in 2018, and Saurav Ghosal's historic men's singles bronze in 2022, India's first individual squash medal at the Games.

The need to tackle doping

The bigger challenge we face as a sporting nation isn't just medals. It's the fact that India continues to battle anti-doping issues, many of which stem from a lack of education and awareness rather than deliberate cheating.

I've long advocated for integrating sport into our education system, much like colleges in the United States do.

Keeping India's 2036 Olympic bid in mind, I obviously want us to win more medals. But I also want us to promote sports that reflect the values we want Indian sport to stand for: a well-educated, self-aware and clean sporting culture.

More importantly, it's the stance we are taking as a nation.

No one can guarantee medals, that's the beauty of sport. But instead of chasing medals, should we as a nation be chasing a certain standard that we want to set for our athletes?

Having interacted with athletes and been part of the sporting ecosystem, I can assure you that most of them aren't "cheating". It's the lack of knowledge and education that's creating this scenario.

They just don't know better.

If, as a nation, you're not trying to cheat but are still topping the doping list, that's a serious educational issue. Our government is trying to fix this problem with the 2036 Olympic bid in mind.

As a nation, shouldn't we be looking to set a yardstick for athletes and federations where education, knowledge and awareness are an integral part of their programmes?

Isn't that the step forward if we truly want to win medals and grow as a sporting nation?

If that's the stand we are taking as a nation, then it has to start now.

Squash, as a sport, does meet the requirements we are looking for. Its athletes tend to be in sync with government rules and regulations, while also understanding the importance of anti-doping awareness.

I'm not taking anything away from any other sport, but if we want to set benchmarks in education and doping awareness, then it has to begin by supporting sports that already have their house in order.

And I don't mean "house in order" at the cost of medals. As Indians, we rightly take pride in how we perform on the world stage. But squash is one of those sports that offers the perfect mix of both.

While I'm sure other sports might win us a couple more medals, squash won't just win us medals; it will also help us uphold the benchmark of producing self-aware, educated athletes.

That's the precedent we should want to set for future generations.