Jahangir Khan, The Legend of Squash | Trond Varlid Jahangir Khan, The Legend of Squash Posted by Trond Varlid in Squash Corner on April 20, 2010 | no responses Longest Winning Streak Ever – 555 matches – how did he do it? Jahangir Khan Jahangir Khan. The greatest sportsman ever – of any sport? Well, his record of winning 555 consecutive matches – to mention just one of many exceptional achievements – remains unchallenged by any other athlete to this day. I had the great fortune to watch him live at the peak of his game – an unforgettable experience… Dominating international squash for the better part of a decade – during the 1980s into the 90s – it was initially, however, not at all obvious that Jahangir was going to become the greatest squash champion in history. “I was told I would never become world champion. I was the youngest, smallest, feeblest and sickest of the family.

Neither the doctor nor my father believed there was any chance for me to become a good squash player” – says Jahangir Khan in his book ‘Winning Squash’. Having gone from such unpromising beginnings to become the greatest squash player of all time – Jahangir Khan is an inspiration for everyone – whatever their initial circumstances, to go on and achieve great things. Indeed, to quote Jahangir again: “I believe my story can offer hope to millions of people all over the world who are poor, bereaved or sick. At different times, I have been all three”. Secret of Success. So how did he do it? What was his secret? How could he remain unbeaten for hundreds of successive professional matches, for almost 6 years? His achievement is particularly remarkable considering some of the main characteristics of squash: high-speed ball (top speeds clocked at around 275 km/h), high-paced game, long rallies – often 100 shots or more – and hardly any breaks between points and games. This means that there is little margin for error in winning (or losing) points and games – and a 555 match-winning streak should therefore be ‘not be possible’.

Unless you are Jahangir Khan, that is….. Jahangir in full flow... His technique was second to none; he could hit winning shots when he needed to and had a great eye for the flow of the game. All necessary skills to be at the very top of squash. However, his greatest and most powerful ‘weapon’ was without doubt his superior fitness – he was simply the fittest person in the sport. In fact, some even proclaimed him to be ‘the fittest man on the planet’…. “Hard work, discipline, commitment and ambition. To be the best, I had to work harder than everyone else. I trained for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week.” – is how Jahangir himself explains the reasons for his remarkable success. Training Program. He would typically start his training day with a 9-mile run (14 km), followed by the ‘400 meter torture test’. The latter consisted of running 400 meters at a fairly high pace, followed by 1-minute breaks – which would be continued until exhaustion. This was a way to simulate rallies that could last up to 100 shots or more. And there would be endless court sprints and racket drills.

Short Bio: Born in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 10, 1963. Although physically frail and in poor health as a boy, he was born into a squash family. His father, Roshan Khan, was a former British Open Champion and his older brother, Torsam, also an accomplished player on the international circuit destined for the top tier. However, when Jahangir was 15 years old his brother Torsam suffered a heart attack during a match and died. This proved to be a tragic, but decisive turning point in young Jahangir’s life, as he then set out to become world squash champion in honour of his brother’s memory. Check out Wikipedia for further details: 7 Most Outstanding Achievements of Jahangir Khan.

Won World Amateur Championships at age 15; Won World Open Championships at age 17; the youngest ever; Unbeaten for 5 years and 8 months; winning 555 matches consecutively; British Open Champion10 times in a row (1982-1993); which remains unchallenged; World Open Champion 6 times – for which he is listed in the Guiness Book of World records; 1st player to win World Open Championships without dropping a game; Played longest squash match in history (1983) – 2hours, 46 minutes; Guy Cook - wisdom of crowds Article completion date: July 2006 Jahangir Khan's Unbeaten Run British Open final, March 1981 (Bromley) - Geoff Hunt (Aus) bt Jahangir Khan (Pak) 9-2, 9-7, 5-9, 9-7 World Open Final, 11 Nov 1986 (Toulouse) - Ross Norman (NZ) bt Jahangir Khan (Pak) 9-5, 9-7, 7-9, 9-1 And

 in between those matches, for five and a half years, Jahangir Khan didn't lose a single squash match.

He won 555 consecutive matches (774 according to some sources). This included five straight British Open titles and five straight World Open titles. This is the first entry in my Sports section because this is phenomenal; and as far as I can see, unprecedented in any sport - the closest contender being, perhaps, Ed Moses who won 122 straight 400m hurdles races over almost ten years. Let's assume Jahangir won 555 straight matches. This is 100 matches per year, which roughly equates to 20 tournaments if you get to the final in each one. So each year, he entered 20 tournaments and won them all - for five and a half years. If someone like Roger Federer (2005) or John McEnroe (1984) only loses three tennis matches in a year they are feted as one of the best players ever - so to not lose at all for five and a half years seems unbelievable. Ross Norman's victory made worldwide headlines, so predictable was a Jahangir victory. Here are a few facts about Jahangir Khan, the unbeaten run, and squash in the Jahangir Khan period.

Jahangir was 17 at the start of the run and 22 when it finished. He spoke later of the mounting pressure he felt each time he went on court to defend the record. Ross Norman was the world number two at the time of his win and had lost something like 30 times to Jahangir - including the 1985 World Open final and the 1986 British Open final. He had been in pursuit of Jahangir for a while and had claimed "One day Jahangir will be slightly off his game and I will get him." He was ranked number two throughout 1986 and 1987 before Jansher Khan emerged. He retired in 1994, largely staying in the top ten until then. After the defeat Jahangir went unbeaten for another nine months, including victory over Ross Norman a few weeks after the defeat. Jahangir was finally matched in world squash soon after Jansher Khan emerged in 1986. Jahangir won the first three matches against Jansher, but was beaten by Jansher in September 1987.

Jansher then beat Jahangir in their next seven matches (to make eight consecutive wins), but Jahangir turned it around to win 11 of their next 15 matches. The rivalry largely dominated the sport until the early '90s. They played 37 times, Jansher winning 19 times and Jahangir 18. After the unbeaten run finished, Jahangir won one more World Open (in 1988, beating Jansher in the final) and reached two more finals (in 1991 and 1993). He continued to dominate the British Open, winning the next five for a total of ten straight titles from 1982 - 1991. His overall total was six World Opens and ten British Opens, and, of course, numerous other titles. Jansher ended up with eight World Open titles and six British Opens (he won the next six British Opens after Jahangir's dominance was ended, from 1992-1997).

Apart from Ross Norman's 1986 World Open victory, Rodney Martin of Australia was the only person to break the Jahangir/Jansher dominance of the World Open and British Open between 1981 and 1996 - winning the 1991 World Open title (beating both Jahangir and Jansher in the tournament). The duopoly was otherwise ended when Rodney Eyles (Australia) won the World Open in 1997 and Peter Nicol (UK) won the British Open in 1998, but no player has dominated these events in anything like the same way since. The world number one ranking was obviously dominated by Jahangir and Jansher from 1982 to 1997 - Jansher took over in 1988 and the number one and two rankings swapped between them after that, until Jahangir's retirement. Jahangir also raided the North American hardball squash circuit between 1983 and 1986. He played 13 tournaments, winning 12. He played the leading American player, Mark Talbott, in 11 finals - beating him 10 times.

His loss was in the final of the 1984 Boston Open, 18-16 in the fifth game. Hardball squash is the American version of the game, played with a harder, faster ball, on a smaller court. It is much less played now (except the doubles version) as most Americans have switched to playing the international version. Mark Talbott is cited as one of the greatest hardcourt players (he was hardball squash world number one from 1983 - 1995). It seems almost arrogant that Jahangir just wandered over to the US about three or four times a year to win one of the top tournaments and beat one of their greatest ever players. Jahangir's squash style was built on incredible fitness and stamina, backed by a gruelling training program, which he used to grind all his opponents down with long, hard-hitting rallies. His initial motivation and drive came from the death of his elder brother, Torsam Khan, from a heart attack in a squash tournament in 1979, aged 27. Torsam Khan was a top player (ranked world number 13 in 1979).

In fact, the Khan family formed a squash dynasty, with a number of world ranking members. Jahangir was initially coached by his father, Roshan Khan (who was British Open champion in 1957), and then by his cousin Rehmat Khan (ranked at world number 12 at his best). Jahangir retired in 1993, after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. [The World Team Championship is held every two years and has three men in each team, with group matches followed by quarter finals, semi finals and final. Not surprisingly Pakistan won it in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987, although Australia won it in 1989 and 1991. Pakistan hasn't won it since 1993.] Jahangir has remained active in world squash and is currently President of the World Squash Federation. Jansher retired in 2001. For more information and further links, see the Wikipedia page, Wikipedia page on Jahangir Khan . World Open results are here and British Open results here .

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings and historical rankings (back to 1984) can be obtained by clicking on Rankings on the left hand side of the PSA site . From the vault: Jahangir beats Jansher for 10th consecutive British Open title - The Express Tribune The Express Tribune Share Tweet Email PHOTO COURTESY: DECCAN CHRONICLE Former president Parvez Musharraf called him the best amongst the then greatest Pakistani squash players. According to him, Jahangir Khan was the ‘best squash player’ among Hashim Khan and Jansher Khan and also the ‘best athlete who ever lived’. The chronicles of Jahangir are not alien to anyone. He earned the ‘Pride of Performance’, ‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz and ‘Sportsman of the Millennium’ awards for his sheer exuberance in the squash court as he yielded the racket like a skilful swordsman, ready to slit his opponents open with dexterity. He had won the World Open on six occasions with five coming in consecutive years from 1981-1985. The last one was won after three years in 1988.

In the British Open, he remained undisputed for 10 years on the trot from 1982-1991; a feat no one has been able to emulate. He faced a formidable Rodney Martin on three consecutive occasions from 1988-1990 but the Australian was unable to break his code. Another Pakistani, Jansher, also faced him twice in the British Open finals. In 1987, Jahangir left Jansher clueless with a 9-6, 9-0 and 9-5 straight set win. Later, they met when Jahangir was on the verge of creating history with a record 10th British Open title. Jahangir was beaten 2-9 in the first set. Some said that he had lost his charm but he proved everyone wrong and came back with a 9-4, 9-4 and 9-0 win in the next three sets to etch his name in squash history forever.

Watch the historic moment here: Jahangir Khan: The Greatest Squash Athlete Ever - SportPulse SportPulse At the heart of Sport Jahangir Khan: The Greatest Squash Athlete Ever August 7, 2013 By Mehwish Rizvi Leave a Comment Jahangir Khan, the greatest athlete ever? His record of winning 555 consecutive matches is one of the great achievements which make him the legend. His class of play is unmatchable in the world of Squash. The Khan dynasty started from the valley of the Khyber Pass where Abdul Majid Khan, laid the foundation of the greatest squash dynasty the world will ever know. From there emerged four great champions who were responsible for launching their family talents in the world. Hashim Khan who is responsible for establishing firm foundations for Squash in Pakistan; Roshan Khan who is considered the best touch player ever; Azam Khan, four time British Open champion; Mohibullah Khan, one time British Open champion and five times North American champion. Throughout the history of Squash, the most exciting times were when a Khan was amidst in creating miracles in Squash.

Jahangir Khan was born in the Khan family on 10 December, 1963. He was weak child from birth and had hernia problem. The doctors forbade him from playing the games of his ancestors because of his poor health. “I was told I would never become world champion. I was the youngest, smallest, feeblest and sickest of the family. Neither the doctor nor my father believed there was any chance for me to become a good squash player” – says Jahangir Khan in his book ‘Winning Squash’. But naturally, Jahangir Khan got the taste of his family sports. Jahangir Khan started playing Squash at age of 10, at his father’s club in Karachi. Initially he was trained by his father, Roshan Khan. After that, he also received training from his late brother, Torsam Khan who had been an amazing squash player and passed away in 1978 due to heart attack during a match in Australia. This proved to be the inspiration for Jahangir because he went to achieve all that his brother dreamed for him.

Jahangir Khan first competed internationally in an unofficial 1978 World Junior Championship where he lost in the semi finals. After that, PIA sent 15 year old Khan to compete in World Amateur Championship in Australia where he met Lars Kvant, who was then ranked in the top 5. Khan went down 0-2 before coming back to win in five. This match proved to be the pivoting point in the career of Khan. So, this was the world of Squash. A 15-year old had beaten the best players in the tournament. Khan received a setback after that, due to the death of his brother. Though two years later, he honored the memory of Torsam’s by defeating the Australian squash legend Geoff Hunt to become, at 17, the youngest-ever winner of the World Open. Geoff Hunt resurrected himself in British open and defeated Khan in two hours 24 minutes match. But that was the last time Khan would ever face defeat for a long time. Khan’s strategy then and for years to come reminded everyone of matador’s- to wear down his opponent nerves and strength, slowly, in bits, before attacking with shear ferociousness.

Khan believed in training and good lord, he trained so remarkably to sweep away all of his opponents. In five years and eight months from 1981 to 1986, the Pakistani Squash player was unbeaten in five hundred and fifty five (555) matches and four World Open championships. He had won six World Open trophies. From 1982 to 1991, he won ten British Open titles in a row. He is the only squash player who has dominated as number one in international and North American hardball squash at the same time. He was the first player to win World Open Championships without dropping a game. In recognition of ruling the game for five years, Guinness Book of World Record declared his winning streak to be the longest by any top-level athlete. Jahangir Khan’s achievements brought him the title of “The King of Squash” and pundits of Squash dubbed him “the greatest Squash Champion”. His surprising but inevitable defeat from unbeatable five year run came from New Zealand’s Norman Ross in the World Open’s final. Jahangir Khan had been dubbed as the fittest player of the planet. “Hard work, discipline, commitment and ambition.

To be the best, I had to work harder than everyone else. I trained for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week.” – is how Jahangir himself explains the reasons for his remarkable success. Jahangir Khan retired in 1993 after helping Pakistan to win the World Team championship in Karachi. In 1990 he was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association and after his playing career finished he was elected as Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation in 1997. He was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation in November 1998 and then from 2002 – 2008 was President of the World Squash Federation. Jahangir became Emeritus President of the WSF in 2008. The government of Pakistan has honored Jahangir Khan with the awards of Pride of Performance, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Pakistani civil award) and Sportsman of the Millennium. Time Magazine has named Jahangir as one of Asia’s Heroes in the last 60 years.Jahangir Khan was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport.

Jahangir Khan lists defeating Geoff Hunt for the first time and winning the tenth British Open Championship as his most memorable achievements. He is indeed one of the finest sportsman and a legend. He provided Pakistan with honor. If winning is the rule to judge an athlete, Jahangir Khan will emerge as the best. Period. He has all the qualities to dub him as the king in Squash. So is he the greatest athlete ever? There is certainly no doubt about it. No related posts. Jahangir Khan | Wiki | 📖 Everipedia × Want to change something on this page or create your own? Register today, it's fast and free. Jahangir Khan Jahangir Khan while attending an event held in Pearl-Continental , Karachi in 2012. Country (1963-12-10) 10 December 1963 (age 52) Karachi, Pakistan W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988) Last updated on: 19 September 2010.

Top Page Editors HI , ( Pashto : جهانگير خان‎)born 10 December 1963 in Karachi , Pakistan [2] (sometimes spelled "Jehangir Khan") is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered to be the greatest player in the history of squash. [3] [4] [5] Jahangir Khan is originally from Neway Kelay Payan, Peshawar . [6] During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. From 1981 to 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play. During that time he won 555 matches consecutively, the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports as recorded by Guinness World Records . [7] He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, when he became Emeritus President.

[8] Playing career Jahangir was coached initially by his father, Roshan , the 1957 British Open champion, then by his late brother Torsam . After his brother's sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat Khan , who guided Jahangir through most of his career. Jahangir was physically very weak as a child. Though the doctors had advised him not to take part in any sort of physical activity, after undergoing a couple of hernia operations his father let him play and try out their family game. In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Jahangir to play in the world championships in Australia, judging him too weak from a recent illness. [9] Jahangir decided instead to enter the World Amateur Individual Championship and, at the age of 15, became the youngest-ever winner of that event. In November 1979, Jahangir's older brother Torsam, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during a tournament match in Australia. Torsam's death profoundly affected Jahangir.

He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother. Notable achievements First player to win World Open Championships without dropping a game Played the second longest match in the squash history 2.46 h Five-year unbeaten run In 1981, when he was 17, Jahangir became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia's Geoff Hunt (the game's dominant player in the late-1970s) in the final. That tournament marked the start of an unbeaten run which lasted for five years and 555 matches. The hallmark of his play was his incredible fitness and stamina, which Rehmat Khan helped him build up through a punishing training and conditioning regime. Jahangir was quite simply the fittest player in the game, and would wear his opponents down through long rallies played at a furious pace. In 1982, Jahangir astonished everyone by winning the International Squash Players Association Championship without losing a single point. The unbeaten run finally came to end in the final of the World Open in 1986 in Toulouse , France, when Jahangir lost to New Zealand's Ross Norman .

Norman had been in pursuit of Jahangir's unbeaten streak, being beaten time and time again. "One day Jahangir will be slightly off his game and I will get him", he vowed for five years. Speaking about his unbeaten streak, Jahangir said: "It wasn't my plan to create such a record. All I did was put in the effort to win every match I played and it went on for weeks, months and years until my defeat to Ross Norman in Toulouse in 1986." "The pressure began to mount as I kept winning every time and people were anxious to see if I could be beaten. In that World Open final, Ross got me. It was exactly five years and eight months. I was unbeaten for another nine months after that defeat." Success in the hardball game With his dominance over the international squash game in the first half of the 1980s secure, Jahangir decided to test his ability on the North American hardball squash circuit in 1983–1986.

(Hardball squash is a North American variant of the game, played on smaller courts with a faster-moving ball.) Jahangir played in 13 top-level hardball tournaments during this period, winning 12 of them. He faced the leading American player on the circuit at the time, Mark Talbott , on 11 occasions (all in tournament finals), and won 10 of their encounters. With his domination of both the softball and hardball versions of the game, Jahangir truly cemented his reputation as the world's greatest squash player. His success in North America is considered by some observers to be among the factors which led to growing interest in the international "softball" version of squash in the continent, and the demise of the hardball game in the late-1980s and 1990s. Rivalry with Jansher Khan At the end of 1986 another Pakistani squash player, Jansher Khan , appeared on the international scene to challenge Jahangir's domination. Jahangir won their first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987.

But Jansher scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters and capture the 1987 World Open title. Jahangir ended Jansher's winning streak in March 1988, and went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters. The pair met in the 1988 World Open final, with Jahangir emerging the victor. But by that point it had become clear that squash now had two dominant players. The pair would continue to dominate the game for the rest of the decade. Jansher and Jahangir met a total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches (74 games and 1,426 points), and Jahangir 18 matches (79 games and 1,459 points). This record doesn't include exhibition matches and league matches between them.

Jahangir did not win the World Open again after 1988, but he continued a stranglehold over the British Open title which he captured a record ten successive times between 1982 and 1991. World Open final appearances 2–9, 7–9, 9–5, 7–9 Training regimen In a documentary on himself telecast on GEO Super , Jahangir revealed that he never had any fixed training regimen particularly designed for him, nor had he any specially formulated diet - he would eat anything hygienic but never miss two glasses of milk every day. For his training, he would often start his day with a 9-mile (14 km) jog which he would complete in 60–120 minutes at a moderate pace, followed by short bursts of timed sprints. Later he would weight train in the gym finally cooling down in the pools. He would follow this routine 5 days a week. On the 6th day he would match practice and rest on the 7th day. He also said that he has experienced running on every surface - from custom-built tracks to asphalt roads, grass & farm fields to sea shores & knee-deep waters.

Sometimes he would also visit the northern areas of Pakistan to train in high altitude fields under low oxygen conditions. All in all it made Jahangir one of the most physically and mentally fit athletes in the world. Awards, services and recognition Jahangir retired as a player in 1993 after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. The Government of Pakistan honoured Jahangir with the awards of Pride of Performance and civil award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) for his achievements in squash. They also awarded him the title of Sportsman of the Millennium. “ Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan, and Jansher Khan are the best squash players the world has ever known, with Jahangir the best of the three. If Hollywood only knew his story of tragedy, grit and determination it would make another movie like Chariots of Fire . Many of those who know him consider him the best athlete who ever lived. ” — Former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf on Jahangir's achievements. In 1990, Jahangir was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association , and in 1997, Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation.

He was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation in November 1998, and in October 2002 was elected WSF President. In 2004, he was again unanimously re-elected as President of the World Squash Federation at the International Federation's 33rd Annual General Meeting in Casa Noyale, Mauritius . Time Magazine has named Jahangir as one of Asia's Heroes in the last 60 years. [2] Jahangir Khan was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport. Due to his immense and absolute dominance in squash he was nicknamed "The Conqueror" (a loose translation of his first name). Personal life Jahangir and his family originate from a village near Peshawar named Nawakille SWABI ( نواں کلی صوابی )(sometimes spelled "Noakili"). [2] He currently lives in Karachi with his wife Rubina, and their two children Mariam and Omar.

Who is Who | Jahangir Khan | Pride of Pakistan | Sports Jahangir Khan (0/5, 0 votes) A former World number one professional squash player, Jahangir Khan is considered to be the greatest player in the history of squash. During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. From 1981 to 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play. During that time he won 555 matches consecutively, the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports as recorded by Guinness World Records. He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, when he became Emeritus President. Jahangir was coached initially by his father, Roshan, the 1957 British Open champion, then by his late brother Torsam. After his brother's sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat Khan, who guided Jahangir through most of his career. Jahangir was a sickly child and physically very weak.

Though the doctors had advised him not to take part in any sort of physical activity, after undergoing a couple of hernia operations his father let him play and try out their family game. In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Jahangir to play in the world championships in Australia, judging him too weak from a recent illness. Jahangir decided instead to enter the World Amateur Individual Championship and, at the age of 15, became the youngest-ever winner of that event. In November 1979, Jahangir's older brother Torsam, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during a tournament match in Australia. Torsam's death profoundly affected Jahangir. He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother. In 1981, when he was 17, Jahangir became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia's Geoff Hunt in the final. That tournament marked the start of an unbeaten run which lasted for five years and 555 matches.

The hallmark of his play was his incredible fitness and stamina, which Rehmat Khan helped him build up through a punishing training and conditioning regime. Jahangir was quite simply the fittest player in the game, and would wear his opponents down through long rallies played at a furious pace. In 1982, Jahangir astonished everyone by winning the International Squash Players Association Championship without losing a single point. The unbeaten run finally came to end in the final of the World Open in 1986 in Toulouse, France, when Jahangir lost to New Zealand's Ross Norman. Speaking about his unbeaten streak, Jahangir said: 'It wasn't my plan to create such a record. All I did was put in the effort to win every match I played and it went on for weeks, months and years until my defeat to Ross Norman in Toulouse in 1986.' The pressure began to mount as I kept winning every time and people were anxious to see if I could be beaten. In that World Open final, Ross got me. It was exactly five years and eight months. I was unbeaten for another nine months after that defeat.

With his dominance over the international squash game in the first half of the 1980s, Jahangir decided to test his ability on the North American hardball squash circuit in 1983–1986. (Hardball squash is a North American variant of the game, played on smaller courts with a faster-moving ball.) Jahangir played in 13 top-level hardball tournaments during this period, winning 12 of them. He faced the leading American player on the circuit at the time, Mark Talbott, on 11 occasions and won 10 of their encounters. With his domination of both the softball and hardball versions of the game, Jahangir truly cemented his reputation as the world's greatest squash player. His success in North America is considered by some observers to be among the factors which led to growing interest in the international softball version of squash in the continent, and the demise of the hardball game in the late-1980s and 1990s. At the end of 1986 another Pakistani squash player, Jansher Khan, appeared on the international scene to challenge Jahangir's domination.

Jahangir won their first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987. But Jansher scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters and capture the 1987 World Open title. Jahangir ended Jansher's winning streak in March 1988, and went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters. The pair met in the 1988 World Open final, with Jahangir emerging the victor. But by that point it had become clear that squash now had two dominant players. The pair would continue to dominate the game for the rest of the decade. Jansher and Jahangir met a total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches and Jahangir 18 matches.

Jahangir did not win the World Open after 1988, but continued a stranglehold over the British Open title which he captured a record ten successive times between 1982 and 1991. He retired as a player in 1993 after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. The Government of Pakistan honoured Jahangir with the awards of Pride of Performance and civil award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz for his achievements in squash. In 1990, Jahangir was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association, and in 1997, Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation. He was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation in November 1998, and in October 2002 was elected WSF President. In 2004, he was again unanimously re-elected as President of the World Squash Federation at the International Federation's 33rd Annual General Meeting in Casa Noyale, Mauritius. Time Magazine has named Jahangir as one of Asia's Heroes in the last 60 years.

Jahangir Khan was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport. Due to his immense and absolute dominance in squash he was nicknamed 'The Conqueror'. Jahangir and his family originate from a village near Peshawar named Nawakille. He currently lives in Karachi with his wife Rubina, and their two children Mariam and Omar. Jansher Khan - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Jansher Khan Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jansher Khan (born 15 June 1969, in Peshawar , Pakistan ) is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players of all time. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times. Jansher came from a family of outstanding squash players.

His brother Mohibullah Khan was one of the world's leading professional squash players in the 1970s. Another older brother, Atlas Khan, was a highly-rated amateur competitor. Jansher won the World Junior Squash Championship title in 1986. He also turned professional that year. At the time, the men's professional tour was dominated by another Pakistani player – Jahangir Khan . (Jansher is not known to be directly related to Jahangir, but their families originate from the same village in the Peshawar region of northern Pakistan, so they may be distantly related). At the World Open in 1986, Ross Norman finally ended an unbeaten run by Jahangir in tournament play which had lasted a staggering five and a half years. But from 1987 onwards, Jahangir would no longer be able to tower over the game in the way he did during the first half of the decade, as Jansher quickly turned men's squash into a sport which now had two powerful dominant players. Jahangir won the pair's first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987.

Jansher then scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters. This included a win in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Open, following which Jansher claimed his first World Open title by beating Australia 's Chris Dittmar in the final. Jahangir came back strongly in 1988. In March that year he claimed his first win over Jansher since the previous September, and then went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters, including a win in the 1988 World Open final. The Jansher-Jahangir rivalry would dominate squash in the late-1980s through to the early-1990s. The pair met total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches (74 games and 1,426 points), and Jahangir 18 matches (79 games and 1,459 points).

This record doesn't include exhibition matches and league matches between them. With Jahangir reaching the twilight of his career and then retiring, Jansher came to establish himself as the sole dominant player in the game in the mid-1990s. He won a record total of eight World Open titles, the last being in 1996. He chose not to defend his World Open title in 1997 because the event was held in Malaysia , and he had a pending court order in Malaysia relating to maintenance payments for his son, Kamran Khan, following his separation from his Malaysian wife. Jahangir maintained a stranglehold on the British Open up to 1991 (he won the championship 10 consecutive times), but when he finally relinquished the title it was Jansher who claimed it for the next six successive years. Jansher officially announced his retirement from squash in 2001. He won a total of 99 professional titles and was ranked the World No. 1 for over six years.

In July 2006, Jansher was in the international headlines again when he was arrested in Pakistan for allegedly forcefully occupying a house over an ownership dispute, and harassing a woman and her family and threatening them with an illegal firearm. [1] [2] In August 2007, Jansher announced that he was coming out of retirement to play in a Professional Squash Association tournament in London in October 2007. He said in a news conference that the reason for his comeback was that, "I feel I am mentally and physically fit to play the international circuit for another three to four years". [3] He lost in the opening round of the event to England's Scott Handley 11-9, 6-11, 6-11 0-11. [4] After the tournament in London, Jansher was involved in a controversial incident when he was caught by customs officers at Islamabad Airport attempting to illegally bring 19 bottles of liquor into Pakistan on his return from the event.

[5] Contents Jahangir Khan : definition of Jahangir Khan and synonyms of Jahangir Khan (English) W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988) Last updated on: September 19, 2010. Jahangir Khan, HI , (born 10 December 1963, in Karachi , Pakistan [1] ) (sometimes spelled "Jehangir Khan") is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. [2] [3] [4] Jahangir Khan is an ethnic Pashtun , originally from Neway Kelay, Peshawar . [5] During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. From 1981 to 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play. During that time he won 555 games consecutively, the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports as recorded by Guinness World Records .

[6] He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation since 2002. Contents 7 External links Playing career Jahangir was coached initially by his father, Roshan , the 1957 British Open champion, then by his late brother Torsam . After his brother's sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat Khan , who guided Jahangir through most of his career. Jahangir was a sickly child and physically very weak. Though the doctors had advised him not to take part in any sort of physical activity, after undergoing a couple of hernia operations his father let him play and try out their family game. In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Jahangir to play in the world championships in Australia , judging him too weak from a recent illness. Jahangir decided instead to enter the World Amateur Individual Championship and, at the age of 15, became the youngest-ever winner of that event.

In November 1979, Jahangir's older brother Torsam, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during a tournament match in Australia. Torsam's death profoundly affected Jahangir. He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother. Five-year unbeaten run In 1981, when he was 17, Jahangir became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia's Geoff Hunt (the game's dominant player in the late-1970s) in the final. That tournament marked the start of an unbeaten run which lasted for five years and 555 matches. The hallmark of his play was his incredible fitness and stamina, which Rehmat Khan helped him build-up through a punishing training and conditioning regime. Jahangir was quite simply the fittest player in the game, and would wear his opponents down through long rallies played at a furious pace. In 1982, Jahangir astonished everyone by winning the International Squash Players Association Championship without losing a single point.

The unbeaten run finally came to end in the final of the World Open in 1986 in Toulouse , France, when Jahangir lost to New Zealand's Ross Norman . Norman had been in pursuit of Jahangir's unbeaten streak, being beaten time and time again. "One day Jahangir will be slightly off his game and I will get him", he vowed for five years. Speaking about his unbeaten streak, Jahangir said: "It wasn't my plan to create such a record. All I did was put in the effort to win every match I played and it went on for weeks, months and years until my defeat to Ross Norman in Toulouse in 1986." "The pressure began to mount as I kept winning every time and people were anxious to see if I could be beaten. In that World Open final, Ross got me. It was exactly five years and eight months.

I was unbeaten for another nine months after that defeat." Success in the hardball game With his dominance over the international squash game in the first half of the 1980s secure, Jahangir decided to test his ability on the North American hardball squash circuit in 1983–1986. (Hardball squash is a North American variant of the game, played on smaller courts with a faster-moving ball.) Jahangir played in 13 top-level hardball tournaments during this period, winning 12 of them. He faced the leading American player on the circuit at the time, Mark Talbott , on 11 occasions (all in tournament finals), and won 10 of their encounters. With his domination of both the softball and hardball versions of the game, Jahangir truly cemented his reputation as the world's greatest squash player. His success in North America is considered by some observers to be among the factors which led to growing interest in the international "softball" version of squash in the continent, and the demise of the hardball game in the late-1980s and 1990s.

Rivalry with Jansher Khan At the end of 1986 another Pakistani squash player, Jansher Khan , appeared on the international scene to challenge Jahangir's domination. (Jansher is not known to be directly related to Jahangir, but their families originate from the same village in the Peshawar region of northern Pakistan, so they may be distantly related.) Jahangir won their first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987. But Jansher scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters and capture the 1987 World Open title. Jahangir ended Jansher's winning streak in March 1988, and went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters. The pair met in the 1988 World Open final, with Jahangir emerging the victor. But by that point it had become clear that squash now had two dominant players.

The pair would continue to dominate the game for the rest of the decade. Jansher and Jahangir met a total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches (74 games and 1,426 points), and Jahangir 18 matches (79 games and 1,459 points). This record doesn't include exhibition matches and league matches between them. Jahangir did not win the World Open again after 1988, but he continued a stranglehold over the British Open title which he captured a record ten successive times between 1982 and 1991. World Open final appearances 2–9, 7–9, 9–5, 7–9 Training regime In a documentary on himself telecast on GEO Super , Jahangir revealed that he never had any fixed training regime particularly designed for him, nor had he any specially formulated diet - he would eat anything hygienic but never miss two glasses of milk every day.

For his training, he would often start his day with a 9-mile (14 km) jog which he would complete in 60–120 minutes at a moderate pace, followed by short bursts of timed sprints. Later he would weight train in the gym finally cooling down in the pools. He would follow this routine 5 days a week. On the 6th day he would match practice and rest on the 7th day. He also said that he has experienced running on every surface - from custom-built tracks to asphalt roads, grass & farm fields to sea shores & knee-deep waters. Sometimes he would also visit the northern areas of Pakistan to train in high altitude fields under low oxygen conditions. All in all it made Jahangir one of the most physically and mentally fit athletes in the world. Awards, services and recognition Jahangir retired as a player in 1993 after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. The Government of Pakistan honoured Jahangir with the awards of Pride of Performance and civil award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) for his achievements in squash. They also awarded him the title of Sportsman of the Millennium.

“ Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan, and Jansher Khan are the best squash players the world has ever known, with Jahangir the best of the three. If Hollywood only knew his story of tragedy, grit and determination it would make another movie like Chariots of Fire . Many of those who know him consider him the best athlete who ever lived. ” — Former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf on Jahangir's achievements. [7] In 1990, Jahangir was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association, and in 1997, Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation. He was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation in November 1998, and in October 2002 was elected WSF President. In 2004, he was again unanimously re-elected as President of the World Squash Federation at the International Federation's 33rd Annual General Meeting in Casa Noyale, Mauritius . Time Magazine has named Jahangir as one of Asia's Heroes in the last 60 years.

[8] Jahangir Khan was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport. Due to his immense and absolute dominance in squash he was nicknamed "The Conqueror" (a loose translation of his first name).[ citation needed ] Personal life Jahangir is of Pashtun ethnicity. His family originated from a village near Peshawar named Nawakille (sometimes spelled "Noakili"). [9] Jahangir currently lives in Karachi with his wife, Rubina, and their children, Omar and Marium. Musician Natasha Khan, better known as Bat for Lashes , is Jahangir's cousin. [10] See also Jansher Khan : definition of Jansher Khan and synonyms of Jansher Khan (English) W (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) Last updated on: September 19, 2010.

Jansher Khan (born 15 June 1969, in Peshawar , Pakistan [1] ) is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times. Jansher is of Pashtun ethnicity and belongs to Nuwai Kelai, Peshawar. [2] He came from a family of outstanding squash players. His brother Mohibullah Khan was one of the world's leading professional squash players in the 1970s. Another older brother, Atlas Khan, was a highly-rated amateur competitor. Jansher won the World Junior Squash Championship title in 1986. He also turned professional that year. At the time, the men's professional tour was dominated by another great Pakistani player – Jahangir Khan . (Jansher is not known to be directly related to Jahangir, but their families originate from the same village in the Peshawar region of northern Pakistan, so they may be distantly related).

At the World Open in 1986, Ross Norman finally ended an unbeaten run by Jahangir in tournament play which had lasted a staggering five and a half years. But from 1987 onwards, Jahangir would no longer be able to tower over the game in the way he did during the first half of the decade, as Jansher quickly turned men's squash into a sport which now had two powerful dominant players. Jahangir won the pair's first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987. Jansher then scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters. This included a win in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Open, following which Jansher claimed his first World Open title by beating Australia 's Chris Dittmar in the final. The great Jahangir Khan came back strongly in 1988.

In March that year he claimed his first win over Jansher since the previous September, and then went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters, including a win in the 1988 World Open final. The Jansher-Jahangir rivalry would dominate squash in the late-1980s through to the early-1990s. The pair met total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches (74 games and 1,426 points), and Jahangir 18 matches (79 games and 1,459 points). This record doesn't include exhibition matches and league matches between them. With great Jahangir Khan reaching the twilight of his career and then retiring, Jansher came to establish himself as the sole dominant player in the game in the mid-1990s. He won a record total of eight World Open titles, the last being in 1996.

He chose not to defend his World Open title in 1997 because the event was held in Malaysia , and he had a pending court order in Malaysia relating to maintenance payments for his son, Kamran Khan, following his separation from his Malaysian wife. The great Jahangir Khan maintained a stranglehold on the British Open up to 1991 (he won the championship 10 consecutive times), but when he finally relinquished the title it was Jansher who claimed it for the next six successive years. Jansher officially announced his retirement from squash in 2001. He won a total of 99 professional titles and was ranked the World No. 1 for over six years. In July 2006, Jansher was in the international headlines again when he was arrested in Pakistan for allegedly forcefully occupying a house over an ownership dispute, and harassing a woman and her family and threatening them with an illegal firearm. [3] [4] In August 2007, Jansher announced that he was coming out of retirement to play in a Professional Squash Association tournament in London in October 2007.

He said in a news conference that the reason for his comeback was that, "I feel I am mentally and physically fit to play the international circuit for another three to four years". [5] He lost in the opening round of the event to England's Scott Handley 11–9, 6–11, 6–11 0–11. [6] In October 2011, It was revealed that Jansher was suffering from Parkinsonism and is currently being treated in Pakistan. [7] Contents

Question: In which sport did Jahingir Khan win the British Open in consecutive years from 1982 to 1991?
Answer: SQUASH