Hashim Khan, who learned to play squash when he was a boy, retrieving stray balls for British military officers in Pakistan, and went on to become a champion and the patriarch of a family dynasty in the sport, died on Monday in Denver. He was believed to be 100.
His death was confirmed by his son Mohammad.
Pakistan was not yet an independent nation when Khan began working as a ball boy at a British officers’ club near Peshawar where his father, Abdullah, was the head steward. When he was not fetching balls hit over walls — courts used to be roofless — young Hashim watched game after game.
When the officers cleared the courts, he went out to practice, barefoot. Sometimes he traded his lunch for lessons. The hard work eventually got him a job teaching squash at the club and led to the belated break that made him a star.
He was in his 30s and a national champion in his homeland when a player he regularly defeated, Abdul Bari of Bombay, made it to the final of squash’s British Open. Khan had not played internationally, but Bari’s success prompted Khan’s supporters to raise money to send him to the tournament in 1951. There were concerns that he was too old, but with Pakistan having just become independent from India, it was a matter of national pride.
He was at least 36 — and possibly several years older — when he played for the first time in the Open, squash’s most celebrated tournament. Khan made an impressive debut, vanquishing an array of international stars on his way to the final, where he defeated the man presumed to be world’s best player, the four-time champion Mahmoud Karim of Egypt, 9-5, 9-0, 9-0.
Khan won the Open for six straight years. In 1956, he defeated his cousin Roshan in the final. Roshan was 26 at the time. Khan was in his 40s.
The next year, he lost to Roshan in the final. Although it was a defeat for Khan, it enhanced his family’s fame.
After Khan won again in 1958, defeating his younger brother Azam, other family members began winning the tournament — first Azam; then a nephew, Mohibullah; and then, a generation later, Khan’s cousin Jahangir, who won 10 straight titles beginning in 1982. Of the 41 British Opens played from 1951 to 1991, a member of the Khan family won the tournament 23 times, often defeating another Khan in the final.
In 1961, Hashim Khan was recruited to move to the United States, where he spent the second half of his life teaching at squash clubs, first in Detroit and later in Denver. The American game was somewhat different — with a harder ball and a smaller court — but he continued to win tournaments, usually defeating players a decade or two younger.
He was known for wearing down opponents by relentlessly returning their every shot — and for appearing never to sweat. In a 1962 interview with Sports Illustrated, Khan assessed the strengths of some of his family members, as well as his own.
“Azam is having best drop shot,” he said. “Mohibullah has biggest variety of shotmaking and hits hardest ball. Azam has most determination to win. Hashim has thinking and experience.”
Khan continued: “When opponent likes fast game, Hashim plays slow; when opponent likes slow, Hashim plays fast. Against big man, Hashim makes him stoop to floor with low shots. Against tennis player used to open court, Hashim hits ball all the time very close to wall.”
He said: “Against player wearing glasses, Hashim gives many high shots, which he has difficulty seeing because of light overhead. When Hashim teaches, he emphasizes thinking.”
Khan was born in Peshawar, the oldest of four children. His father died in a car accident when he was a boy. Khan’s date of birth is not certain, but his family celebrated his 100th birthday on July 1 this year.
In addition to Mohammad, his survivors include six other sons, Sharif, Aziz, Charlie, Sam, Shaukat and Gulmast; four daughters, Nosha Hopkins, Yasmin Ryan, and Subby and Rahmania Khan; several dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and his brother Azam. His wife of more than 65 years, the former Mehria Bugum, died in 2007.
Sam Khan said on Wednesday that the family believed his father was probably several years older than he said he was.
“It’s wrapped in this shroud of mystery, but that also makes it a great story,” he said. “He comes from a part of the world that nobody had ever heard of. Here’s a guy who never really knew how great he was, and by some miracle he got to show the world his skills.”
*****
Hashim Khan (Urdu: ہاشم خان; c. 1910 to 1914 – 18 August 2014) was a squash player from Pakistan.[2] He won theBritish Open Squash Championships (the then de facto world championship) a total of seven times, from 1951 to 1956, and then again in 1958.
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[hide]Early life[edit]
Hashim Khan was born in Nawakille, a small village near Peshawar in modern-day Pakistan, to an ethnically Pashtunfamily, between 1910 and 1914.[3] The exact birthdate is unknown. According to his family members, he turned 100 on 1 July 2014 (the family celebrated his birthday on 1 July).[4] Khan's father, Abdullah Khan was chief steward at a British officer's club in Peshawar. He brought Hashim when he was 8 to the squash courts which were used by military men to relax, when not performing duties. Khan's father died in a car accident when he was 11, and he left school to become aball boy[4] and cleaner of the courts. "For sweeping the place, they paid me four annas a day," Khan told the New York Times in 1957. "One anna is a sixteenth part of a rupee. Five rupees equal one American dollar."[1]
Career[edit]
Khan's father, Abdullah Khan, was the Head Steward at a club in Peshawar where British army officers stationed in the area played squash.[5] As a youngster, Khan served as an unpaid ball boy at the club, retrieving balls that were hit out of court by the officers. When the officers had finished playing, Khan and the other ball boys would take over the courts.[5] In 1942, Khan became a squash coach at a British Air Force officers' mess. In 1944, he won the first All-of-India squash championship in Bombay, and successfully defended this title for the next two years.[1] When Pakistan became an independent state, he was appointed a squash professional at the Pakistan Air Force, and won the first Pakistani squash championship in 1949.[5]
In 1950, Abdul Bari, a distant relative of Khan's who had chosen to remain in Bombay after the Partition of India in 1947, and who Hashim had beaten in several tournaments in India before partition, was sponsored by the Indian Government to play at the British Open where he finished runner-up to the Egyptian playerMahmoud Karim. This spurred Khan to seek backing to compete in the British Open the following year.[5] In 1951, when Khan was in his 30s, the government of Pakistan — particularly the Pakistan Air Force — sponsored him for the British Squash Championship. It marked the first time Mr. Khan wore shoes on the court.[1]Khan travelled to the United Kingdom to play in the British Open, and won the title beating Karim in the final 9–5, 9–0, 9–0. He again beat Karim in the final in 1952 9–5, 9–7, 9–0.[6] He won again for the next four consecutive years, beating R.B.R. Wilson of England in the 1953 final; his younger brother Azam Khan in two tight five-set finals in 1954 and 1955; and Roshan Khan in the final of 1956. Hashim Khan was runner-up to Roshan Khan in 1957, and won his seventh and final British Open title in 1958, when he beat Azam in the final. Khan also won five British Professional Championship titles, three US Open titles, and three Canadian Open titles.[5]
Khan settled in Denver, Colorado, and had continued to appear in veterans' matches at the British Open. The Denver Athletic Club continues to hold a Hashim Khan squash tournament in his honor every year.[7][8]
Khan had a total of 12 children. His eldest son Sharif Khan became a player on the North American hardball squash circuit in the 1970s, winning a record 12 North American Open titles. Six other sons – Aziz, Gulmast, Liaqat Ali ("Charlie"), Salim ("Sam"), Shaukat, and Mo – also became hardball squash players.[9]
British Open final appearances[edit]
| Wins (7) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1951 | Mahmoud Karim | 9–5, 9–0, 9–0 |
| 1952 | Mahmoud Karim | 9–5, 9–7, 9–0 |
| 1953 | R.B.R. Wilson | 9–2, 8–10, 9–1, 9–0 |
| 1954 | Azam Khan | 6–9, 9–6, 9–6, 7–9, 9–5 |
| 1955 | Azam Khan | 9–7, 7–9, 9–7, 5–9, 9–7 |
| 1956 | Roshan Khan | 9–4, 9–2, 5–9, 9–5 |
| 1958 | Azam Khan | 9–7, 6–9, 9–6, 9–7 |
| Runner-ups (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1957 | Roshan Khan | 6–9, 9–5, 9–2, 9–1 |
Death[edit]
Khan settled in the USA in the 1960s, after being invited to teach squash at the Uptown Athletic Club in Detroit.[4] On 18 August 2014, he died in his home in Aurora,Colorado due to congestive heart failure. He was widely believed to be 100 years old.[1][9]
Condolences[edit]
The World Squash Federation President Narayana Ramachandran paid a tribute to Khan, "After a wonderfully long and active life we are now left with memories of a great champion, a great man who has made a wonderful contribution to squash. Hashim’s passing has taken somebody so special from us. As we remember him we send our condolences and best wishes to his family at this very sad time," he said.[10] Other Pakistani players like Jahangir Khan, Qamar Zaman and officials like thePrime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt[5] and Pakistani President also offered condolences and commended Khan.[11] "Within the game, he was an iconic player, arguably the greatest player ever," said James Zug, a leading historian of Squash. In Pakistan, Khan was a hero and a symbol of national pride.[1]
*****
Hashim Khan (Urdu: ہاشم خان; c. 1910 to 1914 – August 18, 2014) was a squash player from Pakistan. He won the British Open Squash Championships (the then de facto world championship) a total of seven times, from 1951 to 1956, and then again in 1958.
Hashim Khan was born in Nawakille, a small village near Peshawar in modern-day Pakistan, to an ethnically Pashtun family, between 1910 and 1914. The exact birthdate is unknown. According to his family members, he turned 100 on July 1, 2014 (the family celebrated his birthday on July 1). Khan's father, Abdullah Khan was chief steward at a British officer's club in Peshawar. He brought Hashim when he was 8 to the squash courts which were used by military men to relax, when not performing duties. Khan's father died in a car accident when he was 11, and he left school to become a ball boy and cleaner of the courts.
Khan's father, Abdullah Khan, was the Head Steward at a club in Peshawar where British army officers stationed in the area played squash. As a youngster, Khan served as an unpaid ball boy at the club, retrieving balls that were hit out of court by the officers. When the officers had finished playing, Khan and the other ball boys would take over the courts. In 1942, Khan became a squash coach at a British Air Force officers' mess. In 1944, he won the first All-of-India squash championship in Bombay, and successfully defended this title for the next two years. When Pakistan became an independent state, he was appointed a squash professional for the Pakistan Air Force, and won the first Pakistani squash championship in 1949.
In 1950, Abdul Bari, a distant relative of Khan's who had chosen to remain in Bombay after the Partition of India in 1947, and who Hashim had beaten in several tournaments in India before partition, was sponsored by the Indian Government to play at the British Open where he finished runner-up to the Egyptian player Mahmoud Karim. This spurred Khan to seek backing to compete in the British Open the following year. In 1951, when Khan was in his 30s, the government of Pakistan — particularly the Pakistan Air Force — sponsored him for the British Squash Championship. It marked the first time Mr. Khan wore shoes on the court. Khan travelled to the United Kingdom to play in the British Open, and won the title beating Karim in the final 9–5, 9–0, 9–0. He again beat Karim in the final in 1952 9–5, 9–7, 9–0. He won again for the next four consecutive years, beating R.B.R. Wilson of England in the 1953 final; his younger brother Azam Khan in two tight five-set finals in 1954 and 1955; and Roshan Khan in the final of 1956. Hashim Khan was runner-up to Roshan Khan in 1957, and won his seventh and final British Open title in 1958, when he beat Azam in the final. Khan also won five British Professional Championship titles, three United States Open titles, and three Canadian Open titles.
Khan settled in Denver, Colorado, and continued to appear in veterans' matches at the British Open. The Denver Athletic Club continues to hold a Hashim Khan squash tournament in his honor every year.
Khan had a total of 12 children. His eldest son Sharif Khan became a player on the North American hardball squash circuit in the 1970s, winning a record 12 North American Open titles. Six other sons – Aziz, Gulmast, Liaqat Ali ("Charlie"), Salim ("Sam"), Shaukat, and Mo – also became hardball squash players.
Khan settled in the USA in the 1960s, after being invited to teach squash at the Uptown Athletic Club in Detroit. On 18 August 18, 2014, he died in his home in Aurora, Colorado due to congestive heart failure. He was widely believed to be 100 years old.
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