Daily Times

KARACHI: Squash legend Jahangir Khan has advised the Chennai-bound Pakistan team to perform up to their true potential and win laurels in the World Junior Individual and Team Squash Championships which runs in the Indian city from July 18 to 29. “Victory and defeat are part of the game but if you lose, lose gracefully by fighting till the last minute,” he told players in a pep-talk session at the PN Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex on Friday where the team were training for the last five days. The training camp ended yesterday and the team members embark to Chennai on Saturday (today). Pakistan will defend their crown in the team event that they have won two years back at Poland by ending the winning streak of Egypt with a 2-1 victory to claim overall fifth title and first since 2008. According to details, 171 men and women representing 28 countries will compete for top honours in the events.

Jahangir, who remained invincible for five-and-a-half years during his illustrious career, said this was for the first time that the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) sent juniors to the city for a short camp and asked him to motivate them. The maestro had been visiting the camp daily to oversee training and tell finer points to the players. “You are going as ambassador and try to maintain discipline both on and off the field,” he told the players. He further asked the players that it would be different environment in India and try to learn by watching other matches and plan strategy with the coaches.

Meanwhile, veteran player and senior coach Mohammad Yaseen, who has specially come from London and took up the assignment to groom the players some four months back, has expressed optimism that Pakistan can produce world champion in about two years time if he is given free hand sans politics. “I’ve a plan how to improve their mental sharpness, skills, stamina, nutrition etc and if implemented without hurdles, it can yield fruitful results,” the 77-year-old former British Open runner-up said. He said there was abundant of talent in the country but unfortunately they lacked basics and therefore he had to start from scratch to improve their foundation.

Yaseen regretted that after ruling world squash scene for four decades Pakistan’s disappeared from the top global ranking for one reason or the other and now they are among those who also ran. Yaseen said Kashif Khan and M Boota were associated with the team as physical trainers besides assistant coach Asif. To a question he rated Egypt, Hong Kong and Malaysia as tough opponents in the upcoming event.

It is pertinent to mention that when he was at his peak Yaseen defeated top seed Jonah Barrington in the 1974 British Open quarters and while getting the better of compatriot and third seed Qamar Zaman in the semis he got his ankle twisted and compelled to give a walkover to legendary Geoff Hunt in the final. The same year Yaseen had won the Pakistan Open at Peshawar.

Pakistan team:

Abbas Zeb (Peshawar), Haris Qasim (Lahore), Uzair Rasheed (Lahore), Farhan Hashim (Rawalpindi), Uzair Shaukat (Peshawar) and Asadullah Khan (Peshawar).

Officials: Munawwar Zaman (manager), Mohammad Yaseen (senior coach) and Fazal Shah (assistant coach).

Published in Daily Times, July 14^th 2018.