A two-day visit to Rome rounded off a highly successful 2009 WISPA Promotional Tour of Switzerland and Italy, led by women's world number one Nicol David.
Organised by the Women's International Squash Players' Association, the tour - including clinics, exhibition matches and press conferences - featured stopovers in Zurich and Luzern, before finishing at the Roman Sports Center in a visit hosted by ASD Agonistica Squash RSC.
Nicol David, the Malaysian who next month will celebrate an unbroken three-year run at the top of the women's world rankings, was partnered in Rome by England's world number eight Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, accompanied by WISPA CEO Andrew Shelley.
David had rejoined the party in the Italian capital city after taking part in Squash's pivotal presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the sport's bid to join the programme for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Founded in 1983 by the late squash-loving Scot Edward McKey Cheever, the Roman Sports Center is a major sport and fitness centre in the heart of Rome's business centre. With a comprehensive range of facilities, including four glass-backed Squash courts - all of which attract some 2,000 members each day - the centre is managed by the founder's widow Rosetta Cheever.
The WISPA stars chatted to and played a series challenge matches with club members, including youngsters, and gave visitors an insight into the skill levels of top players on the WISPA World Tour in a number of exhibition matches.
One of the centre's most renowned members is Italian Member of Parliament Sandro Gozi, the Democratic Party spokesman for EU policies. Mr Gozi took time away from parliamentary duties to join Nicol and Laura on court.
"Until tonight, the summit of my squash career was winning the 'non-classified' Italian title in 2003!" said Gozi.
Formerly based at the European Parliament HQ in Brussels, Gozi was able to play Squash up to four times a week. "Sadly, my commitments in Rome now make it very difficult to play regularly, so tonight was a special treat. I think Squash deserves to be in the Olympics - I am definitely backing the bid."
The WISPA visit attracted a wide age-range of enthusiasts - from 10-year-old Ricardo Veracini to retired US Foreign Service Officer Peter Bloom, aged 71.
Master Veracini, also a tennis player, is frustrated by the disparity between opportunities for him in the two sports in his home city: "There are around 250 tennis clubs in Rome, but only five Squash clubs - so I find it difficult to find enough kids my age to play against," said the keen youngster. "But playing Nicol David today was a great experience."
Bloom, a life-long tennis player and a convert to Squash only in his forties, is delighted to have discovered the game: "Squash has been a huge part of my enjoyment of living here in Rome - I really appreciate that I can play here at this centre."
An avid follower of the game through his overseas membership of US Squash, Bloom added: "These inner city squash programmes I read about in the US Squash Magazine are terrific for the sport."
Massimo Bianchi, President of ASD Agonistica Squash RSC and a former Vice President of the sport's national federation Federazione Italiana Giuoco Squash (FIGS), was delighted with the success of the visit his regional association hosted.
"It has been excellent for our members to see the professionalism of these great players. Not just competing in an event, but the 'whole' player - how they train, how they conduct themselves on and off court, and how they live life," explained Bianchi, a coach for more than 20 years.
"But my dream is to host a big tournament here in Rome - one which will truly put this city on the map as one of the great Squash tournament cities of the world," added Bianchi.
Mrs Cheever was also overjoyed at the impact that the visit made on her club and the profile of squash: "We have a lot of typical Italian men here who spend a lot of time working out - but hardly notice the squash facilities. Now we have had many of them come to ask how they can get into the sport - 'what do we need to do?' they are asking!
"So I am sure that our club coach Carlos Camino Mendez is going to be even busier over the coming months, responding to this new interest."
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro was pleased to have made her WISPA Promo Tour debut in Rome: "It's been revealing seeing Nicol in a new light - she's so good as a Squash ambassador, interacting with all sorts of people so professionally.
This has been a great experience for me - it's a fantastic club and we've been really well looked after. It's been a good mixture of work and sight-seeing," added the 25-year-old from Preston after a brief morning visit to Vatican City and Rome's historic Colosseum before a lunchtime session.
Summing up the two legs of the Tour, Andrew Shelley commented: "The last couple of weeks have really shown all facets of squash. From the major international side with the Seoul Women's Open played in the Korean capital city centre on a glass court surrounded by TV cameras, photographers and spectators, to us presenting our case to the IOC and two promotional visits. All are about the future: Local development in Swiss and Italian cities; national exposure in Korea; and, of course, trying to gain access to the most important event in the world of sport.
"The WISPA Promotional Tour this year has continued the tradition of supporting communities, developing friendships and in a small way trying to make a difference," Shelley continued. "The wholehearted support of our top players - who happily and freely give their time - brings smiles to faces, space in local media and is just so heart-warming and bolstering our future too."