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Open
competition in squash started after World War II. The legendary Hashim
Khan won the Open six times consecutively from 1950-55 and again in 1957
for the seventh time. Hashim Khan, Roshan Khan, Azam Khan and Mohibullah
senior dominated the world squash for no less than 12 years. Qamar Zaman
brightened Pakistan’s hope for regaining the lost glory in 1974. But
the country eagerly looked towards a man who could re-establish its
supremacy a on sound basis. Finally in the legendary Khan dynasty of
squash Jehangir the younger brother of late Torsuam Khan and the
youngest son of Roshan Khan the 1956 World Squash champion was born.
Jahangir
stormed the world scene by capturing the 1979 world amateur title in
Melbourne, as a fifteen year old school boy. Unseeded Jahangir went
through the qualifyin grounds to go on top and fulfilled national
aspiration wehen he dethroned Asutrlia’s all time great Geoff Hunt in
the epic Totonto final of the fifth World open Championship, held in
November 1981. Hunt’s era finally ended with Jahangir’s
unprecedented feat – winning the World Open title at the age of 17.
Pakistan honored with its youngest Champion by awarding him the
President’s Medal for pride of Performance, a high award in sports
which his illustrious father Roshan Khan got in 1960.
He
last played competitively at the World Championships in Pakistan in 1993
while in semi-retirement. He reached the final and helped Pakistan win
the World Team title.
After retirement from Squash,
Jahangir Khan, the player, reached legendary status. Now he is back in a
new role as Ambassador for Squash.
Now
Jahangir works for the Pakistan national airline PIA and has moved into
the top level post of General Manager Sport. Where he is in charge of
eleven sports including squash, hockey, tennis and cricket.
He
has been elected a Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation and
also became a Vice President of The World Squash Federation.
In
Karachi Jahangir lives in with his wife Rubina and 27 month old daughter
Marium. They live as an extended family with his parents, his brother
Hasson, his wife and two children in one big household of 9 people in
the Pakistani style. His father Roshan, the British Open champion in
1957 is the head of the household.
Still,
he is very keen on sports; follows cricket and plays it. He is both a
batsman and bowler, used to play at school and was an opening bat. It
would come as no surprise to anyone who had watched him play squash to
learn that he was a fast bowler - ‘will naturally Jahangir.’
"I
have all the great player under me," he says. These include Wasim
Akran and the test player, hockey players and many of Pakistan’s top
sportsmen. PIA is a little bit like an Institute of Sport in many other
countries sponsoring sportsmen and helping them with travel, salaries
and jobs. Jahangir himself has been with PIA for 22 years having started
with them as a 13 year old.
He
plays cricket and tennis at various clubs and has tried golf but
hasn’t enough time for it now. "I will start this later," he
says. He will practice on the driving range and shouldn’t have much
trouble grooving his swing.
He
is fit without an injury problems and still plays squash most days. He
plays friends and local juniors in Karachi and tries of help the
juniors. One of his ideas is to have an institute for squash.
It
is a new roll for Ambassador Jahangir a roll he will enjoy, a roll which
will benefit the sport. "The sport has given me so much. I would
like to give something back," he says.
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