A young professional from Yorkshire who was considering her future in squash over fears for its Commonwealth Games future, has spoken of her excitement and renewed prospects following the sport’s sudden elevation to the Olympic programme.

Asia Harris of Pontefract joined the rest of the squash community in disbelief on Monday after their sport was finally added to the Olympic programme.

After decades of despair for a sport that had almost given up trying, men’s and women’s singles will be played at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Squash’s place in LA was confirmed by the International Olympic Committee in Mumbai on Monday alongside T20 cricket, lacrosse, baseball/softball and flag football.

Breakthrough: Asia Harris, right, an 18-year-old squash professional from Pontefract will get to compete for a place in the Olympics for the first time in her sport's history.

The IOC’s volte face has been prompted, in part, by the influence of Mark Walter, an American businessman and co-owner of Chelsea FC, Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Dodgers, who has been investing in squash in America since 2015. There is also a growing market for the sport in the United States.

For the likes of Sheffield’s retired former world champion Nick Matthew – who campaigned throughout his career for squash’s inclusion – this news represents a game-changing moment.

For 18-year-old Harris, who is coached by Matthew, it is career changing.

“It’s just something else, something every squash player has been dreaming of forever,” she told The Yorkshire Post.

Asia Harris is now dreaming of the LA2028 Olympics.

“I’m off for a training session with Nick now so I’ll be able to judge his reaction when I see him but for him and Laura Massaro (former women’s world No 1) especially it can be quite tough for them to digest, having the inclusion now but not when they were able to play, it must be quite hard.

"But I can imagine they’re absolutely thrilled for the sport of squash to finally get in."

Matthew, a triple world and Commonwealth champion, who now coaches with the national team, had the bigger picture in mind when he said on Monday: "It's such a game-changing moment at all levels of squash.

"It will bring further investment and opportunities for squash and it will be a really exciting next four to five years.

Nick Matthew of Sheffield lobbied long and hard for squash's inclusion in the Olympics, as recently as for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (Picture: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

"It's also fantastic recognition for all the people in squash who have worked so hard to get us to this moment.

"I'm so happy for everyone who will get the chance to play and I'll be supporting them all the way to LA28.”

For an athlete like Harris it gives her career a new trajectory.

The prodigious talent who only turned professional last summer and reached a final in Scotland last week, turned down scholarships to play and study at Harvard and Yale last year to chance her hand in the professional game.

When Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games earlier this year, leaving the main target for a squash player in doubt, it left Harris wondering whether she had made the right choice.

"I was definitely rethinking things because the Commonwealths, alongside a world championships, are so big for a squash player,” said Harris.

“To take one of those away was quite upsetting and made me question what to do with my future. I’d just declined universities in America – should I now rethink that?

"But you have to persevere with these things and even though the Commonwealth Games might not be there we’ve now got the next step up which is the Olympics.

“I’ve been ill the last couple of weeks but this morning I feel 100 per cent better just knowing I could be in an Olympic Games in 2028; it’s quite emotional.

“Already it’s given me more motivation, for the short-term and the long-term, with the coaches and people around me. LA 2028 will definitely be figuring in my long-term goals.”

In the immediate term, Harris has tournaments in Switzerland and the Czech Republic to look forward to, and she was already planning on trying to raise sponsorship capital to contest events in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East in the new year and then into America in the Spring.

The Olympic seal of approval could give her more clout when she approaches sponsors for support.

"I can rethink sponsors because hopefully more money will be going into the sport,” said Harris.

"There was no doubt for me that squash was going to get in at LA because of the amount of money squash has in America.

"Thankfully the IOC is finally giving our sport a try and I hope we can succeed.”

Mark Williams, the ceo of England Squash, added: “It is fantastic that our athletes will now be recognised as Olympians and that squash will get to shine on the greatest sporting stage.

"This is arguably the biggest moment in the history of the sport.”

'A game-changing moment' - Nick Matthew and Asia Harris react to squash's elevation to the LA2028 Olympics