Jahangir Khan

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use Pakistani English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox squash player

Jahangir Khan (Pashto, Template:Langx born 10 December 1963) is a former professional Pakistani squash player. He won the World Open title six times, and the British Open title ten times (1982–1991). He is widely regarded as the greatest squash player of all time,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> and the greatest sportsman in Pakistan history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1981 to 1986, Khan was unbeaten and won 555 consecutive matches during that time<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> – the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sport as recorded by Guinness World Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Jahangir injury hastens final exit, The Independent, 24 September 1992</ref><ref>Jahangir Khan hopes for squash's 2016 Olympic debut Template:Webarchive, Webindia123.com, 26 August 2008</ref>

He retired as a player in 1993, and served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008. Later in 2008, he became Emeritus President of the World Squash Federation.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>

Early and personal life

Khan was born on 10 December 1963 in Karachi.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> His family originally hailed from Nawan Kalli, a small village near Peshawar in Pakistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Poor Peshawar village home of squash dynasty. Central Asia Online. 15 March 2010.</ref><ref name=":2" />

A member of the Khan family, he was born into a family of squash players; his father Roshan Khan won the British Open title in 1957, and his older brother was Torsam Khan.<ref name=":1" />

Two of his nieces are Natasha Khan (better known as Bat for Lashes), a British singer,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Maria Khan, a professional footballer who has played for the Pakistan women national football team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Khan was coached initially by his father Roshan, the 1957 British Open champion, then by his brother Torsam.<ref name=":1" /> After his brother's sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat, who guided Khan through most of his career.<ref name=":1" />

In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Khan to play in the world championships in Australia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but he entered the World Amateur Individual Championship, at the age of 15, and became the youngest-ever winner of that event. In November 1979, Torsam Khan, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during Australian Open match in Adelaide Australia. Torsam's death profoundly affected Khan. He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, later became Emeritus President.<ref name="auto"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World Open final appearances

Wins (6)
Year	Opponent in final	Score in final
1981	Geoff Hunt	7–9, 9–1, 9–2, 9–2
1982	Dean Williams	9–2, 6–9, 9–1, 9–1
1983	Chris Dittmar	9–3, 9–6, 9–0<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1984	Qamar Zaman	9–0, 9–3, 9–4
1985	Ross Norman	9–4, 4–9, 9–5, 9–1
1988	Jansher Khan	9–6, 9–2, 9–2
Runners-up (3)
Year	Opponent in final	Score in final
1986	Ross Norman	5–9, 7–9, 9–7, 1–9
1991	Rodney Martin	17–14, 9–15, 4–15, 13–15
1993	Jansher Khan	15–14, 9–15, 5–15, 5–15

British Open final appearances

Wins (10 consecutive)
Year	Opponent in final	Score in final
1982	Hiddy Jahan	9–2, 10–9, 9–3
1983	Gamal Awad	9–2, 9–5, 9–1
1984	Qamar Zaman	9–0, 9–3, 9–5
1985	Chris Dittmar	9–3, 9–2, 9–5
1986	Ross Norman	9–6, 9–4, 9–6
1987	Jansher Khan	9–6, 9–0, 9–5
1988	Rodney Martin	9–2, 9–10, 9–0, 9–1
1989	Rodney Martin	9–2, 3–9, 9–5, 0–9, 9–2
1990	Rodney Martin	9–6, 10–8, 9–1
1991	Jansher Khan	2–9, 9–4, 9–4, 9–0
Runners-up (1)
Year	Opponent in final	Score in final
1981	Geoff Hunt	2–9, 7–9, 9–5, 7–9

Honors and awards

• 1981 – At age 17 became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia's Geoff Hunt in final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1984 – Featured on a Government of Pakistan issued postage stamp.<ref>Postage stamp Template:Sic Rs. 3 depicts Pakistan's youngest world squash champion Jahangir Khan in 1984 Retrieved 5 January 2016, Daily Dawn</ref>
• 1999 – Sport and Youth Award by French Government<ref>Another honour for legendary Jahangir Khan Retrieved, The Business Recorder</ref>
• 2005 – Times Award – Time Magazine named Khan as one of Asia's Heroes in the last 60 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2007 – Awarded an honorary degree of Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University.<ref>Honour for Jahangir Khan Retrieved, 12 August 2007, Dawn News</ref>
• 2017 – Featured on a Government of Japan issued commemorative stamp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2018 – Winner of the 8th Asian Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport<ref>Jehangir Khan gets Outstanding Achievement in Sport Award Retrieved, The News International</ref>
• 2023 – Nishan-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Philanthropy

Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF)

In 2018, Khan became global President of Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) in a ceremony held at Japan. SAF was founded by former cricketer Shahid Afridi which aims to provide healthcare and education facilities in Pakistan.<ref>Shahid Afridi, Jahangir Khan come forward to help minorities in fighting pandemic Retrieved, The Statesman, 5 April 2020</ref>

Niaz Support

In 2023, Khan was appointed as a global goodwill ambassador for Niaz Support, a Pakistani social enterprise that provides customized wheelchairs to people with disabilities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Books

• Winning Squash, Prentice Hall, 1986. Co-written with Charles Seely.
• Go and Play Squash : Techniques and Tactics, Stanley Paul, 1992.
• Learn Squash and Racquetball in a Weekend, Knopf / Dorling Kindersley, 1993.

See also

• Jansher Khan
• World Open
• British Open Squash Championships
• World Squash Federation
• List of Pakistanis

External links

• Template:Webarchive
• Template:Squash Info
• The Incredible Khans of Squash: Part III Jahangir
• The Khan Family, A Squash Dynasty Part III
• Pakistan Squash – The Khan Supremacy Part VII
• Jahangir Khan page at Squashpics.com
• Details of Jahangir's rivalry with Jansher Khan
• Article on Jahangir's hardball squash rivalry with Mark Talbott
• World Squash Awards Template:Webarchive
• The KhanSquash Management Group – (archived)