Commonwealth Games: Doubles squash struggling for lift off say NZ winners

The triumphant New Zealand team accept doubles squash will remain a Commonwealth Games speciality event only.

After walking off with a women's gold medal and a mixed silver overnight (NZT), the players and officials admitted the chance to repeat the success on the international stage would have to wait until the Glasgow Games in four years.

Jaclyn Hawkes -- who combined with Joelle King for gold -- is on the board of women's world governing body WISPA and said the expansion of doubles squash was unlikely to feature on its agenda.

"I probably could put a word in, I don't know that it would work," Hawkes told NZPA.

"It's where the money is (that counts) and I don't know whether people want to pay to have doubles tournaments or not.

"For some countries, the only time they play it is literally when they come to the Commonwealth Games."

Doubles was included on the programme to fulfil Commonwealth Games criteria when squash introduced at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur.

New Zealand have now snared eight squash medals at the Games, six of them in doubles, including three golds.

New Zealand coach Anthony Ricketts admitted he and the players focused hard on doubles for several months leading up to Delhi as they saw it as their best medal chance.

Power and endurance are the key to the discipline, Ricketts said, which was why players such as Leilani, Rorani, Shelley Kitchen and now King have racked up the medals.

"We've always had Kiwi females who can hit the ball hard. That's where we have the ability to expose other nations."

Ricketts said other players were starting to take doubles more seriously but it would be a long time before it intruded on the world singles circuit, where professional players ply their trade.

"The way the tour is structured at the moment, there's probably no more time for the players to put a doubles schedule on top of their singles schedule," he said.

"They're playing at least 15 events around the world each year plus there are exhibitions.

"There should be maybe one key (doubles) event a year and maybe a warmup event for that. Anything else is not necessary."