Three Ireland players – Sam Buckley, Hannah Craig and Breanne Flynn – are listed as provisionally qualified for next year’s European Games in Turkey, one of the five Continental Games which form part of the Olympic qualification system for squash at the LA28 Olympics and Paralympic Games (LA28).
The European Squash Federation’s newly launched Road to Istanbul format has filtered all European players in the top 175 of the PSA world rankings.
Users can click on the ‘provisionally qualified’ tab at the top of the internet page to see who the current 21 qualifiers would be, or the ‘Top 175’ tab to see all those currently in contention.
Among the 21 current men’s qualifiers are PSA No.94 Buckley, who is 17th on the list. In the women’s section, PSA No.60 Craig and PSA No.91 Flynn are listed as No.11 and No.18 on the list.
The rankings cut-off date for Istanbul will be April 19th next year, and the men’s and women’s gold medal winners at the European Games – which take place from June 22nd-26th – will be guaranteed qualification in the 16-player Olympic draw in LA.
The European Games will also double up as the 2027 ESF European Individual Closed Championships.
Thomas Troedsson, president of the European Squash Federation, said: “The Road to Istanbul will inject even more buzz and tension as we count down to the highest-stakes squash tournament ever to take place in Europe.
“I know the players cannot wait for the European Games. To be part of a multi-sport event of such magnitude will be a first-time experience for many of them. The fact that there are ultimately two places in the Olympic Games up for grabs will make it an incredibly exciting occasion.
“Thank you to Ross Gerring for his help in creating The Road to Istanbul. We hope it provides clarity and insight for players and fans as we prepare for a momentous event for our sport.”
