SQUASH was dealt a body blow when the Olympic movement restored wrestling for 2016 instead of welcoming a new sport, but domestic prospects are more at risk thanks to a breakdown in relations with Glasgow 2014 which threatens to deliver the antithesis of the promised legacy.

Scottish Squash and Racketball Ltd is locked in combat with the 2014 organising committee and the might of the Games establishment. The conflict follows the exclusion of SSRL from Games discussions, but they will not submit and have written to the First Minister Alex Salmond and the sports minister Shona Robison, seeking their intervention.

Squash plans for 2014 were agreed in 2010 but, since January 2012, SSRL have been excluded from consultation, with 2014 staff ordered not to discuss changes with them.

The sport believes it had an assurance of developments which would have brought profile to the sport, revenue to the city and help to deliver legacy. "We had a template on which we built a major events strategy and then 2014 took it from us, changed it, and worse, concealed it," says John Dunlop, chief executive of SSRL.

"We are left with a sub-optimal alternative which destroys value and is a waste of public funds. It is seriously flawed, financially wasteful and utterly contrary to legacy objectives."

We put the issues to Glasgow 2014 who declined to go on record regarding allegations of behaviour by some senior civil servants and 2014 staff which, as described to me, might be deemed unreasonable and threatening. It is clear that Glasgow 2014 would deny that assessment.

Their spokesman referred me to a prepared statement but the implication is that they fear, and are trying to avoid, a white elephant. SSRL, who have never advocated the new format - and say they have never officially seen it - maintain that avoiding a white elephant is precisely their mission.

From the Glasgow 2014 statement, it emerges that 2014 believe SSRL is trying to secure provision, and retention at Scotstoun, of a glass showcourt in situ. In fact, SSRL have never advocated this.

They want Glasgow 2014 to abandon their plan for a temporary building to house the glass showcourt. The building, costing £850,000 would be dismantled after the Games, yet these structures are built to permanent spec. SSRL advisors say any modifications needed to make it permanent are minor, and that such a structure would have a design life of 25 years, not just 10 days of a competition.

The court, which is demountable and can be dismantled in a day and stored in a container, would leave the hall available for a range of sports including basketball, five-a-side football and futsal, generating greater revenue than the outdoor hockey pitch on which the building housing it would be sited.

Dunlop speaks with some experience. He was responsible for the successful and much-lauded Regional Football Centre strategy. He worked closely with Glasgow Life to optimise the design capacity and yield of the Toryglen centre, as well as Scotstoun's six highly-utilised squash courts. Given this background, it is amazing that squash's voice is being ignored.

"It is not even our job to find solutions," says Dunlop, "but the current plan is so unfit for purpose that it surely can never have been scrutinised. A permanent host building would upgrade Scotstoun and allow removal of a very old hall that is unfit for purpose."

The joint statement from the 2014 partners (Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games Scotland), sportscotland and Glasgow Life, said they were proud of the £2.5m investment in Scotstoun's six-court centre, and its legacy contribution to squash.

"With regard to the public campaign by SSRL to retain a glass show-court post-Games, to date no realistic business case has been made . . . to support the investment required to retain a glass show-court or the construction of a permanent facility to house it. Despite repeated requests, SSRL has failed to provide . . . any robust evidence of detailed business planning, evidence of public or private sector support or partnership or evidence of economic impact or long-term sustainability.

"We are all committed to delivering Commonwealth Games sports venues for all 17 sports that deliver the best athlete experience and contribute to our shared ambitions for a lasting legacy, community relevance and budget consciousness."

Consequently, Glasgow 2014 say the most cost-effective option is a temporary venue, using a rented glass showcourt. It is hard to avoid the notion that this is a smokescreen, and that 2014 have failed to grasp that the court need not remain in situ. Or indeed that SSRL wish it to do so.

SSRL believes their position is being misleadingly portrayed as a campaign for more investment.

SSRL say that, having been excluded from discussions, they can't provide a business plan "without access to the data room". They challenge 2014 to produce their own business plan justifying an £850,000 building whose sole return will be Games ticket sales.

Even with all ducting, cabling, etc removed post-Games squash would still have a template for future international events, attractive to sponsors. Meantime, many other sports could use the hall, delivering revenue. "However, without the building's retention," says Dunlop, "there is no major event legacy."

Despite their exclusion from discussions, SSRL is seeking to help Glasgow 2014 source a court, which they believe they can achieve more cheaply than may be the case for the organising committee.

It is proper that Government should be vigilant on costs, but their heavy - perhaps even spiteful - hand makes it increasingly apparent that Glasgow 2014 is being used as a political pawn.

Dunlop stated on Radio Scotland recently that Scotstoun "was not about an investment in squash, despite attempts by civil servants to portray it as such". Within little more than an hour, national squad members mustered for a photocall announcing a new £30m national performance centre on the Heriot-Watt campus were told they would not be needed. "Because of what I'd said on radio," said Dunlop.

Common sense dictates that Glasgow 2014 take a fresh look, honour what SSRL believes was its promissory note to the sport and to Scotland, and provides the template which will deliver legacy by making the building permanent.

Added costs? These would be recovered by revenue generated over the next 25 years. To dismantle a building which would surely be the focus of major tournament funding by eventscotland would be false economy. Government should stop manipulating pawns and adopt the role of white knight. And bang heads together if need be.