Pakistani sports legend Jahangir Khan, considered to be one of the best ever squash players, is on his first visit to Bahrain since 2015 and says the island has changed remarkably over the past eight years.
Khan, 60, won six World Open titles – five of them, consecutively, from 1981 to 1985 – and a record 10 consecutive British Open crowns from 1982 to 1991.
He remained unbeaten for five-and-a-half years from 1981 to 1986 and his 555-match winning streak during that period, the longest in any sport, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
He is in the kingdom at the invitation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan’s (ICAP) Bahrain Chapter of ICAP Members and was the chief guest yesterday at the Intra GCC Padel Tennis Tournament, organised by his hosts, which featured teams from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
“I came to Bahrain for the first time in 1987 to play an exhibition match,” Khan told the GDN in an exclusive interview.
“I had a wonderful time then and across the few times I’ve been here since. The last time I was here was in 2015 and, when I arrived here this time, I was amazed to see the transformation that has taken place in just eight years.”
Khan, who retired in 1993 before he turned 30 and was elected the vice-president of the World Squash Federation (WSF) in 1998 before becoming the WSF president from 2002 until 2008, has been the Emeritus President of the WSF since 2008 – Khan remains in that post which was created for the first time with his appointment.
“I had a dream, while I was playing, about eventually being able to give back to the game which had brought me so much fame and respect,” Khan, whose father, Roshan, also won the British Open in 1957, said.
“So it was good to be able to do something for the sport, first in my own personal capacity, then as the WSF vice-president and, subsequently, president.”
Khan explained that he had no regrets about retiring when he did, saying he felt he had achieved everything he wanted to and that he wanted to leave while he was still at the top.
“You know, when I started playing squash, I didn’t set out to create any records,” the legendary athlete, who became the youngest player ever to win the World Open in 1981 when he defeated Australia’s Geoff Hunt in the final, added.
“I worked really, really hard during my training and fitness and I would put that into the matches I played.
“Squash is one of the toughest sports to play; it requires more focus, more fitness than most others so, just to give you an idea, I used to train eight hours a day.
“So, even before I turned professional – and, even more so when I did – I would try to convert my training into my matches. I would stay positive and take every tournament match-by-match. Of course, the wins kept mounting up but I knew the streak would end one day and, because a record was never my aim, I continued to win without putting that extra pressure on myself.
“So, by the time I decided to retire in 1993, it was a considered decision to do so. I remember looking back at my career then and telling myself ‘Well, you’ve done it all. What else is there for you to achieve?’ and telling myself it’s better to walk away now, while I am still at the top.
“Of course, I could have played on till I was 34, 35, but I felt it was time, then, for me to start giving back to the game.”
Khan smiled as he reflected on his defeat to New Zealand’s Ross Norman in the final of the 1986 World Open which ended his world record winning streak and became front-page headline news on every newspaper of substance around the world.
“I knew it would come one day so I wasn’t unduly bothered,” he laughed.
“As I said earlier, I wasn’t bothered about records. I just wanted to play to the best of my ability, and I did so. I’ve often been asked if I felt a sense of relief about finally losing after five-and-a-half years but, honestly, since I hadn’t put any pressure on myself about trying never to lose, it really did nothing.”
Khan has fond memories of playing that exhibition match in the kingdom in 1987 but said he hadn’t been able to visit any squash facilities this time since he arrived only on Friday morning.
“I have a lot of friends here who are involved with the Bahrain squash federation and the WSF,” he said.
“I haven’t had the chance to visit any of the facilities this time but I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to promote the sport. There’s a lot of talent here and, I’m sure, pretty soon, you’ll see some Bahraini players competing on the main international stage.”