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05-Oct:
Jansher claims PSF sabotage
in comeback bid ...
from Arab News
Pakistan’s former world champion Jansher Khan alleged on
Wednesday that the country’s squash bosses are trying to spoil his
latest comeback bid by banning him from a training facility in his
hometown Peshawar.
Jansher, a record eight-time World Open champion who is preparing to
return to the international circuit with next week’s
London Open, claimed that
uniformed policemen stopped him from entering the Hashim Khan Squash
Complex on the instructions of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF)
president.
 "I
am a former world champion and a legend and look how they are
treating me here. I have been banned from playing squash in Peshawar
on the instructions of the PSF president. It is really insulting for
me.
"I’m sure that with the right kind of preparations, I could do well
in the tournament ..."
Jansher faded away after reaching
the British Open final in Birmingham in 1998 due to a serious knee
injury and failed in a series of previous comeback bids. He finally
retired more than five years back but has decided to make another
effort by accepting a wild card for the London Open which starts
Oct. 11.
While Jansher blames PSF officials for attempting to sabotage his
bid to return on the international circuit, a PSF spokesman denied
that the federation had anything to do with the incident.
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According to sources, Jansher has been regularly playing at the
Hashim Khan Squash Complex for quite some time. Recently, he started
to come to the facility with armed guards. The complex falls under
the administrative control of the PAF Base Commander, Peshawar. The
administration of the complex repeatedly told Jansher that they
cannot allow guns inside the facility where young boys come and
train.
Later, Jansher announced he was calling a press conference at the
complex to protest against the administration’s attitude after which
he was told that nobody is allowed to carry out such an activity at
the venue. When Jansher refused to listen, sources say, the Base
Commander’s office told the administration of the complex to ban his
entry at the facility.
Jansher, who is scheduled to leave for London on Oct 6th, rejected
this version of the story and said that he was being victimized by
the top officials of the PSF.
 "They
are just against me and are trying to discourage me. I will train in
London for a few days in a bid to be ready for my comeback." |
26-Sep:
World Teams go to Eleven
The Men's World Team Championships, set to be held in
Chennai, India in December, will use PAR scoring to 11 and a 17" tin
for the first time in the history of the championships.
Using the same playing conditions that the players are used to on
the PSA tour, and as seen on TV coverage of the men's game, should
lead to a more exciting spectacle for spectators and familiar
conditions for players and viewers, the WSF hopes.
 Previous events have used 'standard' scoring (to 9, scoring only on
serve), and although the WSF's decision to use PAR in Chennai is
seen as a trial, pressure to change other men's events which use
standard scoring, such as the European Teams and other
European and Regional championships, will surely grow.
Perhaps this move will add impetus to the quest for a single scoring
system for the sport - WISPA trialled PAR to 11 in last season's
BSPA circuit (no results published to date), but let's not hold our
breath on that one ...
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World Teams 2005
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 USA, 29-Sep:
Bear
Stearns back as title sponsor
of Tournament of Champions
Bear Stearns, a leading investment banking, securities trading and
brokerage firm, is returning for the fifth consecutive year as title
sponsor of North America’s largest professional squash event, the
Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions. The prestigious PSA Tour Super
Series Silver event, to be played from 10-16 January 2008, is
the only annual sporting event held in Grand Central Terminal, a
favourite championship venue of the world’s top squash
professionals. The championship features some of the world’s fittest
athletes, competing for one of the sport’s most prized titles on a
portable, four-walled glass court in Vanderbilt Hall.
Full story |
 Pakistan,
03-Sep:
Save Squash from politics,
says Jansher ...
Revealing more about his planned comeback, Jansher Khan has also
appealed to President General Pervez Musharraf to save squash and
its talent in the country by taking effective measures ...
Full article from Pak Tribune
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 Pakistan,
01-Sep:
Comeback for Jansher ...
Reuters India
KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan's former world champion Jansher Khan
is coming out of retirement to play in a PSA tournament in October.
The 38-year-old retired in 2002 due to a nagging knee problem after
winning 99 professional titles, including the British Open six times
and the World Open a record eight times.
 Khan
said he had been assured a wild card entry by the organisers of the
PSA tournament, which is being held in London from Oct 11.
"The reason for my comeback is that I feel I am mentally and
physically fit to play the international circuit for another three
to four years," he said at a news conference on Thursday.
Jansher and countryman Jahangir Khan dominated the world squash
circuit for nearly two decades, winning a total of 16 British Open
and 14 World titles between them.
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