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 Millennium Award for Jahangir Job, Jobs, Jobs ...Something to sell... Millennium Award for Jahangir Jahangir Khan was honoured by the PIA for his achievements in sport. Ian McKenzie was invited to Pakistan to witness the impressive award ceremony. PIA MD Mr Ali Khan Abbassi presents the award Hashim Khan "He is the best in the world.

The only player to win the British Open ten times." Geoff Hunt "Jahangir is the greatest thing that has happened to sport in Pakistan and a great sportsman to emulate." Chris Dittmar "He had the highest level of skill and a work ethic that took our sport to a new level of discipline. I lost to him a lot but it was a pleasure in a way because I played against the best." Ross Norman "The one time I did beat him was an experience you would remember for the rest of your life. With my fellow professionals we would sit around and discuss how to beat this guy and we didn't come up with any answers. I was the lucky one." Qamar Zaman "I was his first big win." Rahmat Khan "He had it all in his mind - honesty, will and sheer hard work. At the end of a training session when I asked him if that was enough he always wanted to do more." It was a remarkable gathering in Karachi, Pakistan in March when Jahangir Khan received the PIA's 'Sportsman of the Millennium' award.

Some people may say that Jahangir had won enough awards but this was special and an appropriate occasion to reflect on one of the most outstanding achievements in the history of sport. Top sportsmen from around the world flew in to honour Jahangir. The 'father of the modern game' Hashim Khan flew in from Denver, Hashim's brother Azim and former world champion Ross Norman from London, Chris Dittmar from Adelaide in Australia, where he is now working as a sports presenter, Rahmet Khan, Jahangir's cousin and his former coach, came from Bombay, where his movie star wife is based. From Pakistan came Qamar Zaman, a former British Open champion, Jahangir's father Roshan, and their outstanding hockey players and cricketers, Imran Khan, Javier Minaad, Wasim Akram, Waker Younis and Zahweer Abbas, to name a few. Pakistan is a new country, born on 14th August 1947, which is keen to establish its identity and rightly proud of its sporting achievements. Pakistan cricketers have been outstanding and in the one-day game won the World Cup in 1992 and reached the final in 1999.

The hockey team has collected two Olympic golds and won the World Cup in 1982 and 1994. "They have done so much in these games for a new country," says Jahangir of his country's sportsmen. "And our squash players have won the British Open for 30 out of 50 years and the World Open 14 times. Not a bad record for a country like Pakistan. It is important for us - not just for national prestige but for identity." He went on to explain that in Pakistan when you are successful internationally you are honoured by your country and often rewarded by the PIA and the government. An award is not just an honour for the recipient but a celebration (and perhaps a congratulation) for the whole country - but is it not like that everywhere? Jahangir explained: "Being a third world country it is important for us to get a good name internationally. People are proud of that. You are doing something big in the world." Jahangir has received awards before. In a civil award he received land from the government in Islamabad and in 1984 he appeared on a Pakistani postage stamp used for international letters.

He has also received three government awards: the 'President's Award' given to him by General Zia, the 'Pride of Performers' award given to internationally successful sportsmen and artists, and the civil award 'Hilal-e-Imtiaz' awarded by president Ghlam Isay which Imran Khan is the only other sportsman to have received. The millennium award was given by the PIA, one of the main institutions in Pakistan, with government sanctioning. Now, with what is reputedly a benign military government, the PIA comes under the Ministry of Defence and the Minister of Defence is the President of Pakistan. "I was chosen to receive this honour because of the record I have in squash and because of what I have done for the country," explained Jahangir. The good and great of squash and Pakistani sport assembled in the conference room at the Marriott Hotel and the cricket commentator Henry Bloefeld addressed them and live TV audiences in Pakistan and Asia. The former champions and Mike Corby, representing the WSF, were introduced on stage. A short film was played showing some of the highlights of Jahangir's career including coverage of his World Amateur title win over Phil Kenyon. "Wonderful," exclaimed Bloefeld.

"It makes me quite out of breath just watching it. Has anyone hit a squash ball quite so ferociously?" Jahangir entered to a standing ovation, Bloefeld continued with a brief homily and Hashim Khan was asked to present the special trophy to Jahangir. Jahangir spoke briefly, thanking his family and the PIA for its support, and the guest sportsmen were interviewed. This special millennium award was the brainchild of PIA MD and Chief Executive Officer Arif Ali Khan Abbassi. He is a keen sportsman himself, a first class cricketer and former Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board. With the award he wanted to show not just what Jahangir had achieved but what Pakistan and the PIA had achieved. The PIA is a remarkable institution supporting sport - perhaps in some ways the Pakistani version of an institute of sport. It supports many of Pakistan's top sportsmen and, when they finish their sporting careers, they often find a job within the organisation - perhaps at the airport or in the head office. For example Jahangir Khan is General Manger of Sports, and the Director of Customer Services is Wasim Bari, the player who took seven catches in New Zealand to set a test record.

The PIA was instrumental in Jahangir's career from the beginning and four people are credited with recognising his talent and assisting him: Air Marshall Noor Khan, who started the Colt Scheme to promote squash among juniors and who also built the PIA complex, Arif Ali Khan Abbassi, Omar Kureshi, Director of PIA public relations, and the late Hassan Musa, former Head of Sport of the PIA. The PIA could be said to have launched Jahangir's international career in 1979. He had started squash at his father's club in Karachi aged 10, playing at a local level, and first competed internationally in the unofficial 1978 World Junior Championships in Sundsvall Sweden, where he lost to the eventual winner, Australian Glen Brumby, in the semi-finals. In 1978 he played in amateur senior tournaments on the East Asian circuit in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines and was the Pakistan U19 champion. He played in the next still unofficial World Junior Championships in England and lost again to Brumby, this time in the final, but Pakistan won the team event.

Then the PIA sent the 15-year-old Jahangir to play in the World Amateur Championships in Australia. He was not a member of the Pakistani senior team and was entered in the qualifying tournament to gain experience. Jahangir qualified and in the first round met the impressive Swede Lars Kvant, who was then ranked in the top five in the world and had beaten everyone to win an event in Sydney the week before. Jahangir went 0/2 and 2-5 down but remarkably came back to win in five. This was the turning point for the 15 year old. He hadn't realised how good he could be before this. He hadn't felt a sense of destiny although he knew he could be a good pro. "I practised with Torsam, Hiddy, Rahmat and Yasin and they told me I was good but I thought they were encouraging me because I was a junior," he says. "Beating Kvant gave me confidence and the belief that I could do it. I had been thinking about the plate competition. I thought that maybe I could win it. After beating Kvant I thought maybe I could get to the quarters but I just concentrated on playing my game.

It gave me strength every day and I won the title but I was surprised to win." So was the world of squash. A 15 year old had beaten the top amateurs in the sport. The PIA's millennium award was a good time to look back on that occasion. "If the PIA hadn't sent me I would not have gone," says Jahangir. Who knows, perhaps the history of squash would have been different. When Jahangir's brother Torsam, who was his coach and mentor, died tragically on court, his life changed. "I did it because of him. It was his aim to make me world no. 1. He said to me 'This is my last tournament. Let me go to Australia for this and then I will concentrate on you. You can do it.' He didn't come back," recalls Jahangir. "In my mind I could see him coming for me. We were very close. "It was a shock for me. I didn't play for three or four months. But my family convinced me to try to fulfil his ambition. I promised to try. I wanted to progress as quickly as possible to show the world that I had done it.

It was a responsibility to my family, my friends and my nation. "I spent two years playing day and night. I had nothing else in my mind." In 1980 Jahangir returned to London, where he had been living with Torsam, and started working with his cousin Rahmat. In the World Open in Adelaide Jahangir lost to the fourth seed Qamar Zaman in five games when he was seeded just 26 and was invited by Neven Barbour to play in the New Zealand Open at the Henderson Club. There he beat Gamal Awad in the semi-final and Bruce Brownlee in the final to score his first circuit win. "I could see I was improving," he said of the win over Brownlee, the world no. 6. A month later in Karachi he beat Qamar Zaman, Mohibullah Khan and Hiddy Jahan to take the Pakistan Open title. "I could see I was achieving something. In the British Open U23 at Wembley he beat Ross Norman and then started winning tournaments: the Belgian Open, the Dutch Open, the Poderite Open, and the Canadian Club Cup in Munich, where he beat Geoff Hunt for the first time.

In the British Open he lost to Barrington in the quarters. In 1981 Jahangir beat Geoff Hunt in a two hour 11 minute marathon at Chichester 9-6 in the fifth. In the British Open, in one of the epic matches in squash history, Geoff Hunt resurrected himself to win over four games in two hours 24 minutes, but that was the last time Jahangir was to suffer defeat for five years and eight months and more than 800 matches. He swept all before him, applying relentless pressure and playing at a pace that no other player could live with. His work rate became legendary, his fitness indestructible, his consistency machine-like. "I believed in training and I put in a lot of hours each day - more than the other guys so that I could stay ahead of them. I put my training into matches. I worked harder than the other guys. Mentally I was strong. I would train at what I had to do in a match. If you are winning all the time it is not easier; if you lose it is easier to be motivated. You learn what you have to do to improve. "My whole life was organised for that performance on court.

I believed that you should do your best. I worked hard for five or six years. "My first target was to win the British Open and the World Open for my brother, my family and my nation. Then, when I was there, I wanted to stay there. "It was not in my mind to set a record but then I realised I could equal the record [of eight British Open titles set by Geoff Hunt] and break it. I could see I was getting closer, the years were going by." Strangely, perhaps the greatest moment of Jahangir's career and one of the landmarks in our sport was when Jahangir was finally beaten, in 1986. Jahangir winning was not news, but now the news that the player who was never beaten had fallen to New Zealand's Ross Norman in the World Open final in Toulouse found its way onto every sports desk in the world and made many main news bulletins, let alone sports bulletins. "I knew that one day it would happen," he said. "A sportsman can't play the same every day; you can't be unbeaten for ever. People were waiting for me to be stopped.

People came to see, wondering if it would be the day that I lost. They had been waiting a long time." Perhaps that era of total dominance practically unequalled in sport was Jahangir's greatest achievement, but there is another record - 10 consecutive British Open titles - and that too is practically unequalled in other athletic sports. Now Jahangir works for the PIA, the company that was so instrumental in allowing his talent to flourish, and is a Vice-President of the World Squash Federation. In that role he is an ambassador for squash, travelling and promoting it around the world. The beginning of a new millennium is a time to look back and this millennium award is a time to celebrate his achievements. I had one last question for him. What were the personal qualities that allowed him to achieve that magnificent unbeaten run and the record 10 titles? He mentioned three: determination, faith in hard work and ambition. "I had the ability to do this; the talent was in my blood," he said of his achievements, "but these qualities allowed me to bring it out." 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. 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. History | U.S. Open Squash U.S. Open Squash Search for: History The U.S. Open Squash Championship began on New Year’s Day, 1954 at the University Club of New York City and literally changed the sport of squash overnight.

The event, which was first run as a hardball tournament for the top amateur and professional players in the world, crowned its first champion Henri Salaun, a French-American amateur player. At the end of the four-day event Open director Ned Bigelow presented Salaun the Open’s $500 grand prize. Salaun’s victory over Hashim Khan in the finals graced the front pages of major newspapers, including The New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, and the Washington Post, all of which were filled with photographs of the Open. New York was abuzz with the excitement. The Open remained in New York for the next two years, but from 1957 to 1965, the event crisscrossed the country, quickly becoming a prominent tournament in the world of professional squash. It was hosted in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Indianapolis, and Atlantic City, and returned to the University Club of New York in 1963 only to be shuttled off to Buffalo and then Wilmington the following years. During these early years the Open was dominated by the presence of the Khan family.

Hashim Khan won three titles between 1956 and 1963, while his relative, Roshan Khan, also won three titles in the same decade. In 1966 the U.S. Open merged with the Canadian Open, forming the North American Open, which remained a hardball event. In the 1970s and 80s the Khans continued to overwhelm the squash scene. Sharif Khan made fifteen straight North American finals appearances from 1968 to 1982, winning twelve of those titles. All in all, the Khan family owns a combined twenty-nine U.S. Open and North American Open Championships. The U.S. Open was reborn, once again as a hardball event (while the North American Open ran separately), in 1983 when Howie Rosenthal promoted the event. Both the 1983 and 1984 U.S. Opens were held at the Yale Club of New York with great American Mark Talbott winning in 1983 and falling to Jahangir Khan in 1984 in the finals.

In 1985, Tom and Hazel Jones who were managing the title at that time made the decision to switch the event from a hardball to a softball tournament. Jones moved the Open out to San Francisco and was one of the first to experiment with the 17-inch tin and 15-point scoring format (which was later adopted world-wide for softball events in 1989), where the Open was received very well. In 1986 Jones moved the Open to Houston, and the following year the venue was switched to the Palladium Night Club in New York City where a brand new, imported portable court from Europe was set up on the dance floor. The Open achieved enormous success that year and has continued to thrive amongst an eager American audience, where players from across the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, and France have all claimed championships. In the late 1990’s, U.S. SQUASH acquired the rights to the trademark and is responsible for the management of the title. Men’s U.S.

Open Squash Champions Year » Jahangir Khan: The Greatest Athlete Ever Jahangir Khan: The Greatest Athlete Ever Posted on Original published here 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. Pakistan squash 8 (All photos courtesy Squashtalk.com) Jansher khan is a squash legend. He won 8 World Championships, 7 Hong Kong Opens, 6 British Opens, 10 Pakistan Opens. JANSHER KHAN Jansher Khan also of Noakili, Peshawar, represents the very best the world of squash has to offer. He is one of the many world squash champions the small village of Noakili, close to the Pakistan Air Force Base in Peshawar, has produced. Jansher Khan is not related to 'the Khans' directly, but comes from the same village. His family was also much poorer.

His brother Mohibullah was a dominant force in squash between 1974-ï¿½80, rising as high as World's No. 2. Mohib was an excellent player, his backhand down the line (parallel-shot as in squash) was one of the most explosive I have ever seen, but he was confronted with Geoff Hunt, Qamar Zaman, Jonah Barrington, Gogi Alauddin and was therefore faced with players who had greater claims to recognition. Jansher's challenge to Jahangir in 1985-86 was dismissed as the precociousness of an upstart and disdainfully rejected. The man was only 16 and a half. Jansher was true to his word, he beat Jahangir six successive times and then started a rivalry which contributed in no small measure to the acceptance of squash as a true international sport. These two were supported by Ross Norman (New Zealand), and the mighty Australian quartet of Chris Dittmar, Chris Robertson, Rodney Martin and Brett Martin. Jansher's record of domination speaks for itself - eight World Championships, Seven Hong Kong Opens, six British Opens, ten Pakistan Opens - so far.

Such is Jansher's domination that his occasional defeat merits a headline, his wins are taken for granted. Comparisons between Jahangir and Jansher are inevitable. Jahangir had a merry first five years because his opposition was provided by an ageing generation who had seen their best in the early and late 1970's. Jansher was confronted by a most formidable array of younger players all in their prime led by Jahangir, and it was through them he had to make this presence known. His training regimen simply had to be many notches higher. The manner in which he gradually but firmly established his superiority is now a part of history. Initially, Jansher had to fight many a tenacious opponent in long drawn out battles. It led to classic confrontations and some of the matches would rate as the greatest games of all time. The Pakistan Open final in 1986 when he roared back to beat Jahangir two games down and the World Open final in Malaysia 1988 against Chris Dittmar are classic examples. They also led to renewed interest in squash because Jahangir's domination had ironically led to a loss of spectator interest. Rivalries are integral to interest.

In tennis we had Hoad/Rosewall; Laver/Emerson; Borg/McEnroe/Connors/Lendl; and now Agassi/Sampras; football is nurtured by the Europe/South American rivalry ; golf has had Nicklaus/Palmer/Player; Trevino/Johnny Miller; in squash the rivalry between Jansher/Jehangir/Dittmar/Robertson/Rodney Martin proved very good for the game. Jansher is like any typical world beater. He is cocky, brash and colourful. His run ins with the authorities add to his personality. He has ignored authority, he has been extremely critical of them. But his squash is excellent, he has worked himself into a position of invincibility and the margins of his wins becomes increasingly one sided. His on court behaviour is exemplary and has led to the great Irishman, the now Jonah Barrington to say "He is the role model for any sportsman, he is a complete Squash Player". He takes the ball early, his balance, direction and control is phenomenal and his T-domination is fantastic. Jansher is gifted with uncanny anticipation and therefore never seems to be hurried.

A World Champion makes his sport look simple, Jansher typifies that as does Pete Sampras in tennis. Jansher is a truly international figure. He needs to accept his stature and contribute his share to giving back some of the affection millions of his fans have given him by identifying with worthwhile causes. He is the world's undisputed champion and surely must rate along with Imran Khan and Jahangir Khan as the three most recognised personalities in their country and abroad. The Future Hiddy's younger brothers Zarak Jahan Khan and Zubair Jahan Khan are amongst the current crop of professional squash players playing on the international circuit . Zubair is currently the world's No. 10 and Pakistan's No. 2 . Zarak is on the downhill slide with his best years behind him but he can claim eternal satisfaction from his crucial role winning for Pakistan the World Team title in 1993-ï¿½94 when he beat Rodney Eyles of Australia in a pulsating match. Squash is still very much a family sport in Pakistan.

Jansher's nephews Amjad, Shehzad, Mohib follow him; Qamar Zaman has his youngest brother Omer Zaman, son Mansoor Zaman ; Zubair Jahan is the youngest of the Jahan family. The list is endless. For them squash is still the only sport they ever wish to know. They are good and so are many other youngsters. No sport has given Pakistan such consistent recognition as squash. Pakistan therefore has a vested interest to ensure the growth of squash not only nationally but internationally . The Nur Khan vision must be revived. Pakistan has at least four major Squash Championship centres in Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore but they need to hum with activity of youngsters and regular events attracting the best in Pakistan and the world.

______________________________ Shocker in Adelaide Rodney Martin turned the squash world upside down in a stunning 1991 World Open | Squash Magazine 2007 June , Features , Professional Squash Shocker in Adelaide Rodney Martin turned the squash world upside down in a stunning 1991 World Open By Mike Corren Photos by Steve Line/SquashPics.com Fellow Aussie, Chris Dittmar (L), eliminated Rodney Martin from the World open in the 1987 semifinals and the 1988 quarterfinals. But Martin avenged those losses in the 1991 semis by escaping with a narrow 3-1 margin of victory. The Men’s World Open Championship began its life back in 1976 and was a well-overdue addition to the men’s world circuit. The reason being the “professional v. amateur” debate which was to rage even well into the ‘80s, at which time the game merged and went truly “open.” It is also worth noting that the first World Open was combined with the British Open, a kind of two-for-one pack!

It is fair to say that the World Open was very much secondary in terms of importance when compared to the British Open, that is until the glittering spectacle of Wembley and Hi-Tec sponsorship went belly up. Since then, whilst still having that tradition in its corner, reduced prize money and a constant changing of venues has worn away at the British Open’s number one status on tour. Firmly entrenched at the top of the pile now is carrying the mantle of “World Champion.” Indeed, it does have an attractive ring to it, doesn’t it? Of the current players, Amr Shabana and David Palmer have two titles a piece, good for fourth on the all-time list. Jansher Khan secured eight titles in his amazing career and may have had nine if it wasn’t for his “legal” problems which stopped him from competing in Malaysia in 1997. Then we have Jahangir Khan with six titles, followed by the amazing Australian Geoff Hunt with four. It should also be noted that Hunt won the World Amateur title three times before the world went “open.” How many he may have won had there been a yearly event is anybody’s guess!

So, in terms of history and competing against the very best, it has to be said that Hunt’s figure should be seven titles. Then we have the “single winners.” They include Peter Nicol (1999), John Power (1998), Rodney Eyles (1997) and more recently, Thierry Lincou (2004). There is another name on that list that is the focus of this story: Rodney Martin. Rodney Martin, many would say (though not Martin), burst onto the squash scene at the wrong time. What kind of luck does one have to enter an era that contained the two most amazing players this game had ever seen in the two JK’s? Martin though, alongside Chris Dittmar and Chris Robertson, thought otherwise and took up the challenge of bringing down the two “invincible” Khans. This chase brought a rise in standard to the squash world that may never again be equaled. Martin was runner-up to Jahangir on three occasions in the British Open, coming oh so close in 1989 when the final went to five games and Jahangir seemed to be on the ropes.

His record in the World Open, however, had been disappointing by his own standards. He lost to Dittmar in the semifinal in 1987 and again in 1988, this time in the quarters. The following year, in Malaysia, he was shocked by, of all people, his brother Brett in a five game thriller. The following year was Martin’s low point when he lost to tour “veteran” Ross Norman. It was a fine performance by Norman and Martin must have been thinking that the World Open was his bogey event. In the finals, Rodney Martin (L) became the first player ever to beat the legendary Jahangir Khan (R) and Jansher Khan in the same tournament when he completed his miraculous week with a 3-1 win over Jahangir. Then came Adelaide for the 1991 edition of the tournament. It was on “home soil” and a chance to shock the world! Martin went into the event ranked five and was seeded to meet reigning champion and World No. 1 Jansher in the quarters. Jahangir was the man in form and was seeded second.

Hometown and sentimental favorite was Dittmar at three, and Chris Robertson was four. Dittmar, for example, was going after a World crown that he dearly wanted in his hometown and had targeted the event. In doing so, Dittmar had put in a huge work load to prepare for it. Martin’s record against Dittmar was fair, with the edge going to the big left-hander in pure consistency. Also, Dittmar had defeated Martin in the National League that had been set up over that Australian season, not to mention beating Jansher 3-1 in a $20,000 winner-take-all challenge match held in Melbourne! Jansher was…well…Jansher! Number one in the world and already the reigning three-time World Champion! Court coverage and fitness supreme! A daunting task to anybody, even the great Jahangir. And speaking of the man, 1991 had been a classic year thus far for Jahangir. After pulling out of the 1990 World Open with claims of fatigue and an impending marriage, he had been written off as burnt out and finished.

Yet, he lined up for the first tournament of the year, the Welsh Leekes Classic, overweight but apparently working hard, aiming once again for that British crown. He defeated Martin in an ugly quarterfinal showdown with Martin accusing Jahangir of deliberate blocking tactics. Jahangir went on to lose the next day to Chris Robertson and then in the final of the next event to Jansher (Spanish Open). Martin again lost to Jahangir 3-1 in the final of the French Open, which marked Jahangir’s second tournament victory in a row and, just as significantly, his second win over Jansher in as many events (German Open). Jahangir went on to beat Dittmar in Scotland and then topped it off with a 10th consecutive British Open, beating an erratic Martin in the semis and totally deflating Jansher 3-1 in the final. There was a gap during the summer leading up to Adelaide when the majority of the Aussies went home, except Robertson, who stayed in Europe and lost to Jahangir in the final of the Italian Open. So going into Adelaide, the form man had to be Jahangir.

He was fit, hungry again and the World Open would be the perfect way to top it all off for the great man. Dittmar was the dark horse, putting in a huge effort, not to mention an excellent record in World Opens past. Jansher was the reigning champ and always roared back after being defeated. Chris Robertson would be there as ever, the tactician, gnawing away at the heels like an annoying terrier! (Sorry Robbo!) Rodney Martin (R) set the stage in Adelaide when he pummelled Jansher Khan in their 34-minute quarterfinal. Oddly enough, Martin didn’t seem to come into the equation at the time, quite silly seeing as the man was a three-time runner-up in the British Open! Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise as the pressure was firmly at the feet of his rivals. As the early rounds progressed, the form book was running to plan. Jansher disposed of Mark Cairns in straight games; Dittmar destroyed Brett Newton; Martin dropped the first to Jason Nicolle; and Jahangir also dropped a game to Paul Carter.

Play then moved to the glass court and Jansher continued his attack beating Sami Elopuro, again 3-0. Dittmar made mince meat out of young country man and future top-ten player Craig “Nugget” Rowland, Jahangir enjoyed a straight-games win over up-and-comer Pete Marshall, and Martin beat fellow Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) player Adam Schreiber, 3-0. So as the quarters began, things were looking “steady.” Jahangir destroyed Ross Norman 3-0; Dittmar beat Anthony Hill to the bare minimum of points; and Robertson took out Brett Martin 3-1 in their usual highly entertaining clash of styles. Then came…the match to fire up the event! Perhaps one thing that was on Jansher’s mind as he started this match was the worrying notion that if Martin was “on,” things could get a little out of hand, especially seeing this was Australia and that Martin had Geoff Hunt on hand to talk tactics with. The opening rallies, though, looked custom made for Jansher. Long, searching, and with Jansher finishing with some lovely touches, especially with the forehand drop.

Things looked gloomy for the Aussie. But then Martin’s play became tighter and tighter, almost hypnotic, and Jansher was well and truly caught in the spell, like a fly in the spider’s web. Loose balls were simply hit for clean winners in the style that only Martin could execute. In the second game, Jansher’s head went down. Martin recognized the signs and knew, on this day, there was no escape. Amazing! In 34 minutes Martin had destroyed the champion and, in doing so, set the event alight! Could he keep it going though? He was next faced with Dittmar, who had ripped his three opponents apart, not dropping more than a handful of points along the way. Daunting stuff! Martin, though, did have an edge. All of Dittmar’s opponents leading up to this semifinal clash had been utterly destroyed with no seeming resistance at all. This was awesome in one respect but in another, Dittmar hadn’t been tested, blooded—whereas Martin had had a tussle in the first round and also had to get his play to the highest level in order to displace Jansher.

As the semifinal started, that theory seemed a tad silly as Dittmar went to 10-0 with almost perfect squash! His mixture of length and short play was spot on, and all Martin could do was hold on and hope for something to fall off! And it did! Dittmar’s mixture of length and short play all of a sudden became lopsided in favor of the short game, and giving an on-form Rod Martin the front court too early was the worst kind of trouble! Dittmar took that game 15-5 but now had a dogfight on his hands! He again started the second like a train, but this time it was only for a 2-0 lead as Martin started peppering the nicks and returning the pressure superbly. Not only did Rodney Martin beat the two JK’s in the same event, he became the first to knock-off each of the top-3 ranked players in a single championship. This match, in its own way, was some of the highest quality squash I have ever witnessed, the pressure of the rallies, the length and all out attack short…it had everything!

Martin took the next three games 15-13, 17-14, 15-13, but there was something that the close score line couldn’t tell. It was the feeling of the hold that Martin had over the match that even Dittmar commented on. “I was in every game but just felt that I was struggling to keep up. I feel like I’m in a daze right now, like I wish we could get up and start it all over again!” Martin’s victory had set up a showdown with his nemesis, Jahangir, who had beaten Robertson 3-1 in a display of nicks and volleys that were truly devastating. In fact, it was true credit to all of Robbo’s fighting abilities that he was able to nab the second game, 15-14, such was the quality of Jahangir’s offensive. I’m not sure how well Martin must have slept the night before the final with JK. His record against the great man in big finals was 0-3, and the nature of his matches with Khan as the years progressed must have also worried him. He showed increasing frustration with JK’s tactics and this had upset his game accordingly.

What we didn’t know was that Martin had worked during the summer with Ian Lynaugh (father of rugby international Michael) on his mental approach to the game, and especially on his approach to facing Jahangir, who had thwarted him in the British Open every year since 1987. Jahangir, on the other hand, must have slept like a baby, snug in his PJ’s with his mug of warm milk next to him and his teddy close at hand, safe in the knowledge that he had defeated the Aussie time after time and that, after all, this would be just another chapter in his legend. That it was…meant to be! Martin had both Geoff Hunt’s and Ken Hiscoe’s advice to draw on, and both had definite ideas about how to play the great man. Their theories were based upon breaking up Jahangir’s rhythm and not allowing him to play at his breakneck and highly effective pace that, when on song, no player could live with. And as the match began, Jahangir’s familiar pattern was unleashed, with Hunt, now in his role as TV commentator, praising his old rival for his breathtaking power and pace. But Martin was keeping up.

There were a few nervous errors, but also some great winners. After all, he was five in the world at the time and one of the deadliest strikers of the ball—ever! A steamrolling was never on the cards. Jahangir pinched the first game 17-14, and it looked to the untrained eye like smooth sailing ahead and a seventh World Open. Despite his historic performance in Adelaide in 1991, Rodney Martin never again reached a World Open final. Oh, how very wrong! Martin came out in the second and completely changed the pace of the match, a total chalk and cheese transformation. Jahangir’s rhythm was broken and, alongside his points deficit, he was becoming increasingly annoyed with the decisions of one Chas Evans of New Zealand. It seemed that Evans, unlike a lot of the English refs of the time, felt that yes, Jahangir did indeed have a habit of blocking and standing on the ball. And that perhaps his legend and reputation had blinded the judgment of certain refs. This presented JK with a host of problems in this particular match.

Firstly, the obvious, he was being given no lets and strokes against himself in “unfamiliar situations.” So he was losing points. Secondly, because he had been used to a certain way of being treated regarding decisions, he now felt victimized and, perhaps worst of all, Martin now felt justified and supported! The second game went 15-9 to Martin and the third was a pure Martin master class at 15-4. Jahangir’s head was down. Could the unthinkable happen? Being the great player, the legend he was, JK fought back hard in the fourth, but the momentum was with Martin and there was that same feeling of impending doom that Dittmar faced. At 13-13 there was a disputed decision over a ball that JK thought hit the tin. On replay the ball looked to be a tad too close to the top edge. Even Hunt thought it may have been down, but it certainly wasn’t clear-cut. And after being blooded on the circuit for five years against some of the roughest and toughest players of all time, there was no way Martin was going to be offering to play a let ball!

The last point was pure magic with Martin hitting a forehand drop in the front corner into the nick from an angle that, well, defied logic! Jahangir looked stunned, Martin did a celebratory war dance and Geoff Hunt was lost for words. And the crowd of course, went crazy! The win capped a series of performances for Martin that would go down in squash history. The top three players in the world, two of which are rated the greatest ever, the other certainly the toughest! All three victories made against all unique challenges and circumstances. Martin did indeed have other performance highs after that victory, until injury cruelly cut him down well before his time. But something that will never be taken away is what could be called the single greatest performance by a sportsman over successive days! Since retiring, Martin has dedicated his time to coaching. This has included the next generation of Aussie champions via the AIS and, more recently, time spent in the US concentrating again on the youth. Could it be that one of his pupils will emulate their teacher in a future World Open?

The following year, 1992 in South Africa, the brothers Martin—Brett (L) and rodney—squared-off in the World Open quarterfinals with Rodney escaping with the win in five.

Question: Geoff Hunt, Jahangir Khan and Ross Norman were the only World Open Champions in the first ten years that the Championships were held, in which sport?
Answer: Squash