05.10.2008 AN OPEN LETTER TO
Emeritus President
World Squash Federation
Susie Simcock
Dear Susie
The WSF motion, to be put at the federation’s
AGM (18th October) to compel a completely unsuspecting sport to move to
universal PAR 11 scoring will do nothing to enhance the sport or help it to
take its rightful place in the Olympics as the most athletic of racket
sports. In my opinion, it will strip the game of a vital dimension.
It seems like a small group of officials have
lost contact with their base in the sport and instead of defending the
fundamental principles of the game are in the process of dumbing it down.
If we look at the evidence put before us to
justify this move, it looks embarrassing. The motion states: ‘This motion is
based on the main recommendation of the Working Group, this is, that the
entire sport merges to Point-a-Rally scoring to 11 points.
I have looked into the research of the
Working Group, discussed the methodology with the group's leader and looked
at the results. I’d like to make these observations:
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The leader was very disappointed with the
take-up.
-
Of the 2,000 or so responses they had no
idea, I quote, ‘whether this was 200 (self selected people) doing this 10
times each or not’.
-
The group does not think this is in any way
a representative sample of the sport as a whole.
-
The group wanted to present what they had
done and let it stand by itself. They were pushed to make a recommendation
and stated: ‘we should not have been asked for it.’
-
A recommendation was made that in no way is
based on the
research.
-
When asked if there was a desire from those
tested to abolish traditional scoring, the answer was “No, not at all”.
The research was very limited and in no way
appropriate to the task of providing evidence for such and important
decision that will affect the very nature of squash. The results do not say
what is claimed for them. In essence, it is a sham.
The Working Group seems to have come under
political pressure to make a recommendation that they know the evidence does
not support. This is a scandal!
There is no need whatsoever to abolish
traditional scoring and there is no ground-swell from the base of our sport.
On the contrary, many highly experienced people at the base are, rightly,
shocked at the move. But many are not even aware of the move. Even the
working group found that 47% would choose traditional if forced to opt for
unified scoring. This is not playing with a scoring system, this is playing
with the fundamental nature of our game.
This needs your immediate attention. The
motion is based on a house of cards and should be withdrawn before it falls
down pulling our Olympic dreams down with it.
Yours most sincerely
Chris Hadden
Squash Academy Switzerland
Creator ASB Rainbow Court
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