In the 1860s, boys at Harrow School in England picked up a small rubber ball - something we take for granted today, but at the time was just becoming available. Using rudimentary rackets, they bounced the ball against the walls of the courtyards and alleys of their school. Initially, it was a game typically for the younger classes who did not have the skills for Rackets, the preferred game of the time.
In 1884, squash reached the United States when St. Paul's boarding school in New Hampshire built four open courts. The game also gained popularity at Harvard, where two courts were built in 1908. From there, it spread to private men's clubs in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Gradually, the game reached the south and west of the United States, gaining an ever-widening fan base. The first class facilities on the ship RMS Titanic also included a squash court.
Squash has also experienced significant growth in Asia, particularly in Pakistan and India, where an increasing number of talented players are emerging. The Professional Squash Association (PSA) oversees the organisation of competitions and maintains rankings. In October 2023, the International Olympic Committee approved the inclusion of squash in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
In Poland, squash is gaining in popularity. More than 300 tournaments are held each year, and more than 30,000 people have a licence from the Polish Squash Federation authorising them to participate in competitions. In connection with the tremendous growth of this sport, I am pleased to announce that Zielinski Art has become a sponsor of one of the most rapidly developing clubs, the Wrocław Squash Club. One of its members, Natalia Mierzejewska (#TeamMierzejewska), became the top junior player in Europe in December 2023. For the Squash Champs 2023/24 tournament, I was asked to design special prizes in the form of commemorative rings. I placed two crossed racquets in the centre. Above them, a fully set onyx symbolises the rubber squash ball. The sides of the ring are decorated with a numeral corresponding to the position on the podium. Inside the circumference, a flaming ball has been engraved.
