The European Squash Federation has launched The Road to Istanbul as excitement intensifies ahead of squash’s debut in the European Games next summer, keeping players, National Olympic Associations, federations and fans up to date with the latest qualification status of European players who are in contention for a place at the European Games.
The 2027 European Games in Türkiye is one of the five Continental Games which form part the Olympic Qualification System for the squash competition at the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28).
The men’s and women’s gold medal winners at the European Games will guarantee qualification in the 16-player Olympic draw in LA (subject to meeting conditions in the Olympic qualification guidelines).
The European Games squash event, which takes place from 22-26 June in the Turkish capital, will also double up as the 2027 ESF European Individual Champs (EICC).
Featuring 24-player draws, the first 21 places will be allocated based on PSA rankings at the cutoff date of 19th Apr 2027. Two places are available for the finalists in a Qualifying competition with the final place allocated to the host nation Turkey.
There is a maximum of three players per nation, provided they are in the PSA top 100 at cutoff.
“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,” said Thomas Troedsson, President of the European Squash Federation.
“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 and the PSA for their 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.”
The current standings would see Gina Kennedy, Tinne and Nele Gilis and Jasmine Hutton as the women’s top four seeds, with players from France, Spain, Ukraine, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Poland, Italy and Netherlands in the 21 qualifiers.
On the men’s side the top four would be Joel Makin, Victor Crouin, Marwan ElShorbagy and Jonah Bryant as the top seeds, joined by players from Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Israel, Czechia and Austria.
Although world ranked 12 and 34 and well within the top 21 Europeans, Mohamed ElShorbagy and Melvil Scianimanico miss out in the current standings due to being the fourth GB and French players on the list.
Should all the eligible players participate – it’s not clear if this is an individual or National Federation choice – it would be a major boost for the European Individuals and provide top qualify draws for Squash’s debut in the European Games.
