Paris Welcomes Women's World Championship Teams

In his first duty as the newly-elected President of the World Squash Federation at the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 WSF Women's World Team Squash Championship, Frenchman Jacques Fontaine welcomed players and officials to the event which is being held in the French capital Paris for the first time.

It was as President of the Fédération Française de Squash that Fontaine attracted the event to France for the second time in four years. It will take place at Jeu De Paume and St Cloud Squash clubs, with final stages being held on an all-glass court at the Palais Des Sports Robert Charpentier in Issy-les-Moulineaux.

At the Opening Ceremony at Palais Des Sports, Fontaine addressed players representing 17 nations - including 17 from the world top 20 - telling them that "women will play a leading part in our future bid for participation in the Olympic Games".

Bernard De Carrere, the Deputy Mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux who has responsibility for sport in the town, also welcomed the participants - alongside Jean Denis Barbet, President of the Ile de France League; and Dominique Fontanon, Vice President of the Fédération Française de Squash.

Nations competing in Paris are Australia, Austria, Canada, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, USA and Wales - all pictured above.