- “The first step towards the 2028 Olympics”
- The first training camp for the youth squash team conducted in collaboration with the Next Generation Sports Science Support Team
Squash, which has been adopted as an official sport in the 2028 LA Olympics, has taken its first step towards the Olympic stage. The Korea Squash Association has been seeking various training methods to improve the performance of youth representatives and has been selected as a support target for the project "Fostering and Management of the 2025 Youth Squash National Team" through consultation with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. This project is being conducted under the auspices of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, hosted by the Korea Squash Association, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation.
Accordingly, the association selected 10 youth representatives with the goal of training future national representatives and conducted the first training camp for the youth squash team from May 24 to 31 at the Gimcheon Squash Stadium. This training was structured as a scientific training program reflecting the characteristics of the sport, in collaboration with the Korea Sports Policy Science Institute and the Next Generation Sports Science Support Center of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation.
The main programs included ▲ fitness assessment specialized for squash ▲ technical analysis such as movement analysis and ball speed measurement ▲ video analysis for developing game strategies ▲ sports psychology assessments including mental coaching, all focused on comprehensively reviewing and enhancing each athlete's growth factors. The introduction of fitness assessment criteria specifically for squash is particularly significant.
Korean squash has recently emerged prominently in both individual and team events at the World Junior Championships and Asian Junior Championships, expanding its presence on the international stage. With high potential being evaluated as a strategic sport in the Asian Games and Olympics, this training camp marked the starting point for the systematic fostering system based on sports science.
Choi Myung-soo, the dedicated coach for the youth squash team, stated, “I will do my best to guide the youth representatives so they can make significant leaps in technique, fitness, and tactics.”
The Korea Squash Association plans to further strengthen the support system for youth representatives throughout 2025 and to continue the youth athlete development program based on results from Asian and world competitions. This first training camp will closely examine each athlete's fitness, technique, and intelligence elements, and regularly monitor individual growth processes.
※ Introduction to the Korea Squash Association
With a history and tradition spanning 200 years, squash is thriving in 180 countries worldwide and allows for exhilarating matches as a representative racket sport.
The Korea Squash Association began its full-scale promotion in 1989 and has been recognized as an official sport in the National Sports Festival (2006), the National Youth Sports Festival (conditional approval in 2024), and the National Sports Participation Festival, steadily growing as a core sport for both recreational and professional sports.
Starting with its adoption as an official sport in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, squash has firmly established itself as an official sport in the Asian Games and, thanks to its global popularity, was first adopted as an official sport in the 2028 LA Olympics.
The Korea Squash Association, as a regular member organization of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, conducts various projects for balanced development of both recreational and professional sports with 17 regional branches across Korea and 2 national-scale federations (university, industrial), along with 7 overseas branches.