Earlier this month, there was this widespread sense of joy in Pakistan’s squash fraternity. The reason was a 14-year-old schoolboy, Hamza Khan, who won the Under-15 title of the British Junior Open in Birmingham.

If you look at the big picture, winning the under-15 title of an international junior tournament isn’t a big achievement for a country like Pakistan, which has given squash a long list of legends. But Pakistan’s squash officialdom, desperate after a long barren run, celebrated as if one of our players had indeed won the British Open itself.

Not taking anything away from Hamza, because for him it is indeed a great personal achievement, I must say that we should end this habit of jumping the gun. Hamza has won an age-group event of an international junior tournament. That’s it. He is talented and hardworking but the kid has a long way to go. Events like junior tournaments are a means to the end. But we are already talking about how Hamza will now go on to become our next world champion. After all he is the first Pakistani to win the British Under-15 title in eight years.

Any ideas who was the last Pakistani kid to achieve that feat? Well, it was Israr Ahmed. So eight years after that win, where has Israr reached. He is ranked No. 153 in the world.

That’s the problems. We have been investing in our junior programme for decades. Our boys do well on the world junior circuit every now and then but not a single kid has so far managed to break into the top-tier circuit. We have to rethink our game plan otherwise kids like Hamza will fare little better once they are thrown in the deep end.

Anyways, the reason why I wanted to devote this week’s column to squash is the great Hashim Khan.

Years ago, I met the father of Pakistan squash in Karachi. He was well in his nineties but what a jovial man he was. I still remember asking him about his mantra for success and I still remember his answer. “Just hard work and more hard work,” he told me smilingly.

Born in Nawakilli, Hashim rose from a modest background to become the best player in the world of squash. His certainly was a rags to riches fairytale.

His father, Abdullah, was a steward at Peshawar Club. He was the one who introduced Hashim to squash. But Abdullah died tragically in a lorry accident and the responsibility to feed the family fell on the shoulders of the 11-year-old Hashim. For years Hashim juggled his roles as the family’s provider and a budding squash player. Whenever he managed to find an empty court, he would play in it for hour and hours. In the absence of any opponent, he would play against himself. In his book, Squash Rackets – the Khans’ Game, Hashim himself describes these games as being instrumental in lending him the speed, stamina and skills that became the scourge of other leading players of the world of his era.

Unlike today when squash tournaments are a regular feature all over the world, back in Hashim’s time it was totally different.

Hashim got his first opportunity to play in a proper tournament in 1942. By then he had become a very capable player and was persuaded by his peers to go to Bombay to feature in the prestigious Western India Squash Championship at the Cricket Club of India. When Hashim boarded on the Frontier Mail, he was leaving Peshawar for the first time. Then, Abdul Bari was regarded as the best player in all of India. Hashim comfortably sailed into the final where he faced Bari, the local favourite. Hashim defeated him without much fuss. It was a huge upset. And it was that win which paved the path for Hashim’s international success.

But he had to wait for more than decade to get his first opportunity. And it was Abdul Bari who played a role. Bari was also a Pathan who had settled in Bombay. He was popular among CCI members, who raised money for him to go and compete in the 1950 British Open in London.

Bari was an instant success as he tore through the draws of the British Open and set up a final against legendary Egyptian Mahmoud El Karim. But Karim proved too good for him, beating Bari in straight games.

Back in Peshawar when Hashim heard of Bari’s exploits he realized that he too had a chance. A campaign began and finally, with the help of the Air Force and its officers, Hashim landed in London for the 1951 British Open. He was 37!

Hashim announced himself to the squash world by beating Abdul Bari in the final of the Professional Championship of London. He then faced the mighty Karim in the final of Scottish Open in Edinburgh. He beat the Egyptian favourite 9-0, 9-0 10-8 to win the title!

They returned to London for the coveted British Open title held at the Lansdowne Club. Hashim made it clear that his win against Karim in Edinburgh was no fluke as he thrashed the defending champion 9-5, 9-0, 9-0 in just 33 minutes. The squash world had found a new king.

The British Open was then regarded as the unofficial world championship of squash. Its winner was regarded as the world champion. Hashim Khan was the first champion from a nascent nation called Pakistan, a nation just four years old.

So yes, he did receive a hero’s welcome on his arrival in Karachi. Even the Governor General was there to receive him.

For the next seven years, Hashim completely dominated the international squash scene which was confined to a series of major events in Britain. His British Open winning streak halted in 1957 when he lost the final to cousin Roshan Khan because of an injury. But Hashim returned in 1958 to win his eighth British Open title which remained a world record for decades. Australia’s Geoff Hunt surpassed it before Jahangir Khan broke it with ten consecutive British Open titles.

Hashim’s eight British Open title are just a small part of his contribution towards Pakistan squash. He is the engineer behind Pakistan’s rise as the greatest power in international squash. He trained his brother Azam Khan, also a British Open champion. He was the pioneer, the man who gave Pakistan an identity in the world of sports. It’s legends like Hashim Khan, whom today’s kids like Hamza should follow if they are to realize their dream of becoming future world champions.

Khalid Hussain is Editor Sports of The News

khalidhraj@gmail.com