I must admit my own initial skepticism in going into this summer's Pan American Games in Santo Domingo from both an organizational standpoint as well as a squash standpoint. As squash in the Dominican Republic has existed for only a couple of years, the potential limitations on holding an event in a country that claims a total of only four courts seemed significant prior to our arrival. The latter portion of my uncertainty, however, was soon quelled upon seeing the facility in which the majority of matches were to take place. The venue, Body Shop Arroyo Hondo, was a multi-level modernized health club with an enormous offering of cardio equipment, free weights, aerobics classes, and even an outdoor batting cage. Upon the main level, the majority of the free weights and nautilus equipment had been moved to the perimeter to make room for a portable glass court. This regal addition, plus another two (permanent) courts on the same level combined with a powerful PA system made for an atmosphere conducive to an exciting event.
Facets of the tournament's organization did not, unfortunately, disprove my doubt. Arriving in Santo Domingo at approximately 11pm on the night prior to the start of competition, I was eager to quickly find transport to my hotel room. I did not, however, anticipate the two-hour wait to obtain my tournament identification badge, or a last minute change in hotel. Though ultimately getting to sleep at around 2am, others were not so lucky. Stories of officials involved in other sports being turned away from their hotel late at night because of lack of space were becoming common. Others, (including one squash referee), were put in hotels nearly a two-hour commute from their venue. This logistic chaos, however, was by and large, overshadowed by the quality of the event to follow.
From a refereeing perspective, things seemed to transpire rather smoothly as the event unfolded. Or, more accurately, the bitter hatred and quantity of abuse received from the players and coaches seemed to be less than usual. [Ed's. Note: This may be a reflection of the situation in Quito in 1992.] There did not appear to be a great amount of discussion pertaining to the quality of the officiating, which is generally a good thing from the referees' standpoint. Apart from one or two documented incidences (by a player notorious for psychotic behavior), adverse officiating incidences were fairly minimal. This was due in part to the presence of three international referees (Barry Faguy and Gerry Poulton of Canada, and William Winter of England), and one former international referee (Nelson Neto of Brazil). Their experience and guidance throughout the tournament were invaluable, and the opportunity for other referees to be assessed and critiqued was made available to us. Their collective expertise also strengthened the overall quality of officiating.
Another facet which significantly facilitated the refereeing duties was the integrity of the players. With few exclusions, the sportsmanship displayed by the participants was exceptionally good. I, for one, upon witnessing a questionable (or sometimes, blatantly incorrect) call against a player, was astonished at their reaction, or lack thereof. This type of character is rather uncommon in a tournament of such size and magnitude, and enhanced the already existing positive atmosphere.
The final noteworthy observation was the overall quality of play. Throughout the tournament, and especially the later rounds of both the team and individual competition, spectators were treated to a level of play previously unknown in a developing squash nation. The Canadian men's team was unstoppable, as Graham Ryding and Shahier Razik clearly outclassed the rest of the field, and battled each other in a close five-game final in the individual event. The women's side was much more tightly contested, as Latasha Khan and Meredith Quick both pulled off five-game victories in the final of the team competition over their Canadian counterparts to secure the gold medal for the US.
Other than some of the aforementioned organizational logistics, the event was overall a great success. The comportment of the players, high standard of play, and energy of the venue all combined to create an atmosphere ideal for both officials and spectators alike. With any luck, the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro will meet with similar success.