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  30-Dec-05:
HASHIM:
Reviving Pakistan's Lost Glory
Exclusive SquashSite
interview by Rahmatullah Khan |
Squash legend and seven time British Open champion Hashim
Khan has underlined the need for proper training for young
talent as necessary for the revival of the lost glory of Pakistan on
the international squash circuit.
Youngsters Lagging Behind
Talking to SquashSite.co.uk, he said he believed that presently most
of the young players were lagging behind in technical skill and
using modern technology- a prerequisite for bringing laurels to the
country.
"Squash is a difficult and costly game compared to other sports in
Pakistan and is out of the reach of common poor people," the
legendary player said.
"Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is busy in providing all kinds of
facilities to the players, but all these efforts are proving
fruitless."
"In my era the rubber-made balls were hard while the courts were
wide and the players would have to play an aggressive game against
their rivals.
"We were required to practice for eight hours a day while the
players of today who I have watched hardly stay on court for one
hour."
Techniques for Progress
He attributed to the lack of fitness and techniques, a proof that
they are not fully committed to the sport.
The legendary pointed out four techniques as prerequisites for a
Squash player who wanted to be a World Champion - fitness, footwork,
attention and use of the mind.
He urged the young players to give maximum time to Squash and try to
adopt the qualities required for the revival of the lost glory of
the country.
"I clinched the British Open seven times, which was later on
maintained by great sons of the soil like Jahangir Khan and Jansher
Khan. It is still not impossible for youngsters to follow the
footprints of national heroes like Jahangir and Jansher Khan, but it
will require hard work."
When asked about the performance of Pakistan Squash Federation,
Hashim appreciated the encouragement of new talent from the grass
roots level and the construction of glass courts across the country,
saying "it is a step in right direction".
If I were young ...
On the future, Hashim concluded:
"Squash is much faster nowadays, and time is going so fast with the
pace changing the game, like mankind.
"If I were a young player I would teach the players how to
play Squash."
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Hashim Khan was born to a poor family in Naway Kalli in 1923
and became a champion who changed the sport of squash.
Hashim's
excellence on court gave him a passport to embark on an eight
decade journey crossing economic, geographic and generational
boundaries and transcending social, cultural and religious bias.
His rise to dominance in squash coincided with Pakistan's
independence in 1947. When he won his first British Open title in
1951 it was a first for the country in any sport, and he went on to
win titles in eight consecutive titles.
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