The RAC Club in Pall Mall is not the sort of venue one usually attends in search of elite competition.

Well-meaning amateurs, certainly. Lovely facilities, obviously. Plenty of middle-aged white guys, definitely. The extremes of fitness and fist-pumping, sweat-pouring, thrilling intensity associated with sport played at its highest level? Not so much.

Yet on Tuesday evening, several hundred enthusiastic members crowded into the gallery around the squash courts at one of London's most traditional private clubs to watch Egyptian world champion Mohamed Elshorbagy play Paul Coll of New Zealand, currently ranked 11 in the world.

Mohamed Elshorbagy was the star of the show for a Premier League Squash tie at RAC Club

This is the Premier Squash League, a 10-club competition regarded as the most prestigious of its kind; and it's very, very good.

I won't lie. I was there because my friend runs the team currently top of the PSL South, Tradition at The Royal Automobile Club. But I was also there because squash keeps trying, and failing, to be recognised as an Olympic sport and that has never seemed right. The argument runs that it is a difficult watch, hard to capture on television. I wanted to see for myself.

The argument is wrong. Live squash is brilliant. Enthralling, exhilarating and estimable, given what it takes out of the players. Television cameras are just an electronic set of eyes. Well, everyone in that room had eyes and what we saw raised the roof in what is, typically, a rather staid environment.

Squash struck out a third time as an Olympic sport for Tokyo in 2020. Baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding are all now included but squash went the way of wushu — no, me neither — 10-pin bowling and roller-skating.

It is a travesty, really. Surely the soul of climbing resides outdoors? Skateboarders, like snow-boarders, compete for show, more than medals. That a sport like squash demanding so much of its competitors loses out to what are basically leisure or lifestyle activities, or to golf, snubbed by the best players in the world in 2016, is a dreadful indictment of the IOC's priorities.

An Olympic gold medal should be the pinnacle for any competing sport. Nicol David of Malaysia, former women's world No 1 and an eight-time world champion, said she would swap all her titles for a single Olympic gold. Would Rory McIlroy swap his four major titles the same way? We all know the answer to that.

Hundreds of spectators turned up to cheer as Paul Coll and Elshorbagy went into battle

And, yes, a fixture at the RAC Club smacks of elitism, but four of the five teams in the Premier League North come out of universities, and other clubs in Premier League South, such as Bexley and Chichester, reflect humbler origins.

The RAC was the perfect venue for a club called Tradition — named after its sponsors, Compagnie Financiere Tradition — because it is the unofficial home of squash, the way Lord's is the home of cricket.

The RAC clubhouse hosted the first meetings to set up competitive squash; the Squash Rackets Association conducted their business from there after they were formed in 1928. The courts are old school, white walls and wooden floors, not the modern glass-surrounded new-builds, so necessary for spectators and television audiences, but it is plain the players get a kick out of being there.

Even if it's hot. So incredibly hot, in fact, that by the time Elshorbagy and Coll played the last of the five club matches on Tuesday, there were regular delays while the court was cleaned of sweat.

There is nowhere to put a towel on a squash court, because everywhere is in play. It's a gladiatorial pit, really. No escape and no quarter. And if a player slips, as happens, he leaves an imprint of moisture that has to be erased: because it's that hard. What would be called a set in tennis is a game in squash, and Elshorbagy left to change his shirt after every game. It did not matter. Within minutes the new attire was drenched through, too.

The RAC Club in Pall Mall, London, is usually a stuff and elitist place, but not on this night

There were a lot of good players in action through the night, but the speed of Elshorbagy's forehand was exceptional. Yet Coll is renowned as the fittest player on the circuit. In the world of squash that is saying something. It was an outstanding match-up, running to five games, Elshorbagy triumphing 11-8 at the last.

Nobody who saw it would buy the idea that squash could not convert to television. Squash TV, the brainchild of the Professional Squash Association, has exploded that myth, with higher quality cameras, better lit courts and friendlier surrounds to improve the visibility of the ball.

As a result, a television audience of more than one million watched the men's singles final at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. And, as far as Olympic action goes, there is always interest once you've got a horse in the race. Think curling.

In the end, the IOC has to decide what the Olympics is about: commerce or competition. There is little doubt the new sports that have been successfully adopted are there largely for financial reasons. Golf, surfing, even rugby sevens — there is money to be made.

Yet squash is approachable enough to be the national sport in Egypt, a country whose average income per capita ranks it 127th in the world. What is it about affordability that also finds no appeal with the IOC?

Egypt have six players in the top nine men and critics claim one nation dominates. Yet there are 12 nationalities in the top 25 and six sporting continents are covered: Europe, Africa, South America, Central America, Asia and Oceania.

Egypt have six players in the top nine men and critics claim the African nation dominates

Compare that to golf, where nine countries feature in the top 25 men — including five Americans in the top eight — and nine in the top 25 women, including four Koreans in the top six and 13 of the 25 overall. That's why squash is getting a raw deal. Just about every negative that is thrown its way can equally be applied to other Olympic sports.

Elitist? Then what of modern pentathlon, a sport designed to replicate the predicament of a 19th-century cavalryman, trapped behind enemy lines? To rejoin his regiment he must win fights by sword and pistol, ride an unfamiliar horse, swim and run. No doubt they talk of little else in Bolton.

As for being difficult for spectators — dressage, shooting, archery anyone? If the speed of squash does not lend itself to shot-by-shot commentary, the same could be said of table tennis, a sport in which all but one Olympic gold medal has been won by China since 1992, 23 out of 24.

'Nobody is quite sure why the sport has suffered repeated failures,' wrote former world No 1 James Willstrop, after squash's latest rejection. 'The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world. Of course we want to be there but all we ever do is try to justify ourselves. These athletes, some of the greatest alive, shouldn't need to do this. This is our sport and it's getting better all the time. Must we beg?'

He's right. Squash shouldn't have to plead for Olympic recognition. If those at the helm of the IOC cannot recognise a great sport, simply presented, we can only make some rather familiar assumptions about their motives. The RAC isn't the only cosy little club, it seems.

Video ref must pass the test of time

So far, all the introduction of video assistant referees has proved is that referees are not as rotten as we think. Two games, three hours of football, and not one decision overturned. The only controversy has surrounded the timing of the replay and the time required to reach a firm conclusion.

On Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, play carried on for more than a minute before a penalty call against Arsenal's Danny Welbeck was assessed — and then it took a further two minutes to reach a firm conclusion.

Mark Halsey was one former referee left unhappy. 'As soon as that ball is out of the danger zone play should be stopped,' he argued.

Martin Atkinson awaits a VAR decision during the Carabao Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge

And how would that work? Out of the danger zone is not the same as out of possession. Chelsea still had the ball in the aftermath of Welbeck's tackle on Cesc Fabregas. They were putting Arsenal under intense pressure. Had Martin Atkinson simply blown his whistle and interrupted play, only to then discover it was no penalty, that advantage would be lost.

The only viable restart would be the 50-50 chaos of a drop ball, or a downfield punt by Arsenal to return possession. Either could take the sting out of Chelsea's attacks. And for what? Nothing. Their players would be moaning about that, for sure.

Equally, by waiting for the ball to go dead there is a risk of even greater complexity. What if Arsenal had broken away, and scored — only to discover mid-celebration that, no, it was a penalty down the other end three minutes ago? It has not happened yet, but on the law of averages it will.

So far, VAR has been excellent, but there are complications to come. That's when our commitment to the brave new world of technology will be tested.

Feting of Maria is an insult

With so many leading male players absent, the Australian Open should be an ideal opportunity for the women's game to showcase itself. That Maria Sharapova was invited to parade the cup at the opening ceremony on Thursday, in place of last year's champion Serena Williams, was a dismal start.

'Maria deserved the opportunity,' said tournament director Craig Tiley.

No, she didn't. She is ranked 47 in the world and her last contribution to the Australian Open was a failed drugs test. The feting of Sharapova since her return makes a mockery of any resurgence in women's tennis and allowing her to fill the space vacated by the greatest player the women's game has seen is the ultimate insult.

Maria Sharapova paraded the Australian Open trophy currently held by Serena Williams

Sanchez bid could turn ugly for Jose

If Alexis Sanchez is as determined to be reunited with Pep Guardiola as it seems, why would Jose Mourinho and Manchester United attempt to hijack his transfer from Arsenal at the last?

Even if Henrikh Mkhitaryan is an intriguing makeweight, they can ill-afford to come second to Manchester City in another beauty contest.

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez looked set to join Man City - but now United have waded in

Manchester United are prepared to use Henrikh Mkhitaryan as a makeweight in the deal

They've lost the plot on Holgate

As a result of making a complaint of racism against Roberto Firmino, Mason Holgate may be punished for posting homophobic tweets, while still at school. What a mess this has become.

Why would any black man ever come forward again, if this is the way the process pans out? Rival fans poring through a timeline, looking for one bad word to mount a claim of equivalency.

So far, no hard evidence has been found against Firmino, but Liverpool fan sites began sharing screen grabs of Holgate using terms such as 'fag' and faggot' in the aftermath of last Friday's Merseyside derby.

As a result, the FA feel they have to act, even though Holgate was 15 when two messages were sent and 16 when the final one was posted. Unpleasant, yes, but one would hope he has grown, and few adults have a teenage past that would survive this level of scrutiny. Maybe Holgate once took a boy's lunch money. Have we looked into that?

The one thing that can be guaranteed, however, is that the FA have no interest in the violent push that could have broken Firmino's back. How do we get it so wrong, so often?

The Football Association are investigating Mason Holgate's allegedly 'homophobic' tweets

Holgate was at the centre of a racism row involving Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino

Beardsley once knew power of the positive

Alan Hansen was trying to be sensitive the day he called black players 'coloured'. He didn't realise the meanings and nuances of race words have changed. He thought he was being polite. Black was the word that scared him; coloured, he felt comfortable with.

He's an intelligent man, so he should have known better — but language evolves very fast these days. Hansen comes from an age when coloured would have been an acceptable term. It is considerably harder to find mitigation for Peter Beardsley, accused of bullying young players and making crass, racially charged remarks at Newcastle.

Telling African players, 'You should be good at this', on a climbing frame at an adventure playground goes beyond clumsy, if true. It is hard to imagine a time in Beardsley's professional life when a link between man and monkey would not have caused offence. How did he imagine it was acceptable?

Peter Beardsley is accused of bullying young players and making racially charged remarks

Beardsley denies the claims against him, although five team-mates have provided witness statements in support of complainant Yasin Ben El-Mhanni. How has it come to this?

Before the 1996 European Championship, when Beardsley was still a player with England, he was part of an extended squad that needed to be cut by five for the tournament.

It was well known that one of Terry Venables's options pitted Beardsley against a younger rival for his position, Nick Barmby. Venables remarked that every day after training Beardsley would come to him, full of praise for Barmby — how well he was doing, what a player he could become. He offered Barmby advice, he was genuinely encouraging. Venables picked Barmby.

Beardsley retired from international football, but with nothing but praise for the player who took his place. What happened to that man who was so positive around young players? How did he end up driving good prospects from Newcastle? He was a better person than he now appears, back then.