Hong Kong Open to be inspected by IOC

Nicol David has played her heart out on court - and even danced in the streets - to get squash into the Olympics. It hasn't been quite Gangnam Style, but the world No 1 says she wouldn't mind putting on her dancing shoes again this week in Hong Kong if it would help her sport grab the attention it needs to convince International Olympic Committee observers that it is worthy of becoming a medal sport at the 2020 Games.

"Yes, we have done everything, the players even dancing on the streets of Brooklyn and Kuala Lumpur this year to raise the sport's profile. I hope we have come a long way from our last two failed efforts to get into the Olympics and will be picked as the new sport at the 2020 Games," David said on the eve of the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open last night.

For once, Hong Kong's premier squash tournament, which features the world's top men and women, will have to share the limelight with the bid to get into the Olympics - the IOC picking the tournament as the one where the sport will be inspected by members of its programme commission.

"We are determined to put on a grand show," said David Mui Ying-yuen, chairman of Hong Kong Squash.

And David is confident that will be the case. "Hong Kong is the perfect place for the IOC's inspection. They have always put on a good show and the players love coming here. I have no doubt that we can impress the IOC," she said.

Squash is up against baseball, softball, karate, wakeboarding, wushu, roller sports and sport climbing for one berth at the 2020 Olympics.