More than 1,000 masters squash athletes, officials and supporters have converged on Perth for the 2026 World Squash Masters Championships, held from 30 August to 6 September, marking the tournament’s first appearance on Australian shores since 2001. The pinnacle event for the world’s top masters squash players brought together competitors from across the globe to vie for championship titles across a range of age divisions.
For WA’s squash community, hosting the world championships for the first time in a quarter of a century represented a significant milestone, offering local players, coaches and volunteers a rare opportunity to be directly involved in organising and supporting a genuinely global sporting event within their own community.
A Quarter-Century Wait Ends
Australia last hosted the World Squash Masters Championships in 2001, meaning an entire generation of Australian masters squash players had never had the opportunity to compete in the tournament on home soil before this year’s Perth event. The long gap between hostings made securing the championship a particularly meaningful win for WA’s squash community, who have campaigned for years to bring a major international squash event back to Australia.
Masters squash, which brings together competitive players across a range of age categories rather than solely younger elite athletes, has built a genuinely global following, with the championships regularly attracting competitors well into their seventies and beyond, reflecting the sport’s reputation for supporting lifelong participation and competition.
Government Backing for the Event
The championships were supported by the Cook Government through Tourism WA, reflecting the state’s broader strategy of pursuing mass participation sporting events that draw significant numbers of interstate and international visitors to WA. State officials have described the event as another win for Western Australia’s diverse sporting calendar, highlighting the state’s growing reputation as a world-class events destination and one of the fastest growing events markets in South East Asia.
Economic and Community Benefits
With more than 1,000 competitors, officials and supporters travelling to Perth for the event, local hospitality, accommodation and tourism businesses benefited from a significant, if temporary, boost in demand during the tournament’s run. Beyond the direct economic impact, community sporting advocates have highlighted the value of exposing local WA squash players and juniors to elite-level international competition on home soil, an inspiration that can be harder to generate without a major event physically taking place in the community.
Showcasing WA’s Sporting Infrastructure
State officials have pointed to WA’s sporting infrastructure as a key factor in successfully attracting events of this calibre, arguing the state’s facilities rank among the best in the world and provide a genuine platform for hosting major international competitions across a range of sports beyond the more commonly showcased football and cricket venues.
What Comes Next
With the championships now concluded, WA’s squash community and event organisers will be assessing the tournament’s success as a case study for pursuing future major squash events, building on the momentum generated by finally ending the country’s 25-year wait to host the World Masters Championships again. For Perth’s broader events strategy, the tournament adds another data point to the state’s growing track record of successfully delivering mass participation international sporting events across an increasingly diverse range of sports.
