Montréal, QC (10 May 2023) – This Saturday, May 13th, the Canadian Squash Hall of Fame will induct four new members into its’ folds. The Induction Ceremony will take place at The Forum de Montréal, commencing at 5:00pm ET. Dick Pound, along with fellow inductees Lolly Gillen, Jamie Crombie, and Sabir Butt, will be recognized on Squash Canada’s Jonathon Power All-Glass Show Court, host by Master of Ceremony, Steve Wren.
Dick Pound
For many decades, Dick Pound has been a fierce advocate for the inclusion of squash in multisport games, in particular the Olympics, and has invested a lifetime to the sport. In 2005, Time Magazine featured him as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World”, and his opinions have been cited in multiple media articles quoting his vison for the game. In 2014, Reuters News Agency quoted Mr. Pound saying, “I cannot help thinking, as a member of the International Olympic Committee, that squash should be in the Olympic Games. I cannot think of a better example of fitness, skill, strategy, and fair play than squash.” Again in 2021, from the Around The Rings article, when asked, “Is there any sport which is not part of the Olympics you would like to see as part of the program?” Dick’s response: Squash!
In May 2022, the longest-serving IOC member Dick Pound reached the membership age limit of 80, but was unanimously elected an Honorary IOC Member. During his 44-year tenure, Dick was Vice President from 1987-91, and again from 1996-2000. Additionally, Mr. Pound, always a staunch champion for fair sport, was the founding President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from 1999-2007.
Dick’s personal passion for squash dates to 1966 as a member of the McGill Squash Team when the McGill Mens Team won the Intercollegiate Squash Championships. He was Chancellor of McGill University from 1999-2009 and has been a member of the Jesters Club since 1969. Dick played for Canada in five Lapham Grant matches and was the Honorary Chair of the 2014 World Women’s Team Squash Championships, held at White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.
Lolly Gillen
Squash Canada’s second longest serving President (2013-2018), Gillen is now the only woman and non-Spanish speaking person to be elected Secretary General of the Pan American Squash Federation. She has been involved with squash for over three decades, as both a volunteer and a player, amassing 60 hardball doubles titles including four World Women’s, 29 Canadian, two US & 25 Provincial/State Women & Mixed Doubles titles. Lolly Gillen, is a former Squash Ontario President and Honorary Member, and has also been Squash Canada’s International Delegate since 2019.
Co-founder of the Canadian Inclusivity Squash Program with Eric Hart in 2019, a program teaching squash to neurodiverse and physically diverse individuals, Gillen has now started Canada’s first ever Wheelchair Squash57 program at the Toronto Cricket Club. Lolly was a member of the World Squash Federations Para Squash and Inclusivity/Diversity Working Group, and is a current member of the World Squash Federation (WSF) Squash57 Commission.
Lolly co-created with Alan Grant, North American’s first ever hardball doubles ranking program which she ran for 16 years, and spearheaded the Squash Canada Doubles Officiating Program in 2002. In 2019 Lolly founded the Road to Podium campaign, Squash Canada’s first ever fundraising campaign directed solely for Canada’s high-performance athletes raising over $200K in only seven months. She has Chaired or Co-Chaired eight National Doubles Championships, dozens of Squash Ontario Doubles Championships and Canada’s first ever Pan American Squash Championships.
Jamie Crombie
As a Junior in Calgary, Jamie Crombie reached a Canadian ranking high of #1 in February 1994, and World Ranking high of #32 in March of 1995. As a former professional squash player, Jamie won 19 Tour Professional Squash Association (PSA) & ISPA Championship titles.
Crombie was member of the Canadian National Men’s Team from 1985 to 1995 in a variety of international World and World Regional Championships. In 1994, Jamie won gold in the Men’s Individual at the 1994 Pan American Senior Championships, and Silver in the Men’s Teams event. The following year, Crombie won Gold in the Teams event at the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata with teammates and fellow Hall of Famers Jonathon Power, Gary Waite and Sabir Butt. At that same event, Jamie also won a Bronze in the Individual Championships.
Back in Canada, Jamie amassed a total of 15 Provincial Men’s Open Softball titles. Playing in the Masters category, in 2005 Jamie won Gold in the World Master Games Men’s Singles event and Gold in the 35+ Men’s Team event together with the 2005 US Softball Doubles Champion (Michael Puertas).
Today, Jamie is currently the General Manager and Squash Pro at Dayton Squash Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, still competes with his instinctive competitive nature on the master’s circuit.
Sabir Butt
Sabir begin his illustrious squash career with capturing six Canadian Junior Championships (1981 – U13, 1982 – U15, 1983 & 1984 – U17 and 1986 & 1987 – U19). Butt became a 4-time Canadian National Men’s Open Champion in 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1994. After winning the 1984 Scottish Junior Open U16, Sabir finished fourth in the 1986 World Junior Championships and was a semi-finalist in the 1986 British U19 Open.
Sabir also represented Canada as a senior team member in the 1987 and 1988 World Team Championships and was a member of the Canadian National Men’s Team, winning Gold in the 1992 Pan American Championships Men’s individual, and Gold in the Men’s Team at the 1995 Pan American Games with team mates and hall of famers Jonathon Power, Gary Waite, and Jamie Crombie. At the 1995 Pan Am Men’s Individual event, Butt received Bronze. In 2002 Sabir, with team mates Viktor Berg, Shawn Delierre and Kelly Patrick, the team captured Gold in the Pan American Senior Championships Men’s Team event.
Sabir joined the Professional Squash Association in 1985 winning 16 PSA and ISPA Championship titles, and reached a career-high #17 World Ranking in May of 1988. To book end his stellar squash career, in 1994 Sabir was named Mississauga’s Athlete of the Year.
History
In 1983, Squash Canada initiated an awards program with the introduction of the Distinguished Service Awards to recognize Canada’s greatest builders, coaches, officials, and players. In 2010, these awards were redefined as the Wall of Fame to visually showcase the honoured recipients in a more prestigious fashion through a virtual Hall of Fame on the Squash Canada website. In 2022, the Squash Canada Board of Directors formalized a Canadian Squash Hall of Fame and appointed a Canadian Squash Hall of Fame Commission to independently manage the nomination and induction process in accordance with a set of Guiding Principles.
