Pakistan`s successes in hockey and squash are unmatched. The country`s record of four World Cup wins in hockey has not been equaled.

Likewise, in squash Pakistan has won the two most prestigious titles, British Open and World Open, more than any other nation, 30 and 14 times, respectively. Jehangir Khan won the British Open ten times and Jansher Khan won the World Open eight times.

Pakistan`s steep decline in the two sports is reminiscent of the fall of the great Roman empire. In hockey, Pakistan`s fourth world title came in 1994. Pakistan even failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and at the 2018 edition they were 12th.

In squash, the last was Jansher`s triumph at the 1996 World Open. Today, no Pakistani is in world`s top 45.

In this wilderness, an occasional show brings hope for the success-starved nation. Most recent has been Hamza Khan`s victory at the under 15 event of the British Junior Open Squash in January 2020. It was after eight years that Pakistan was able to win a title at the British Junior Open. Hamza is the nephew of 1975 British Open winner Qamar Zaman.

Should the Pakistani nation regard Hamza winning the British Junior Open title, a harbinger of revival of Pakistan squash leading to former glories at the British Open and World Open? In this century, Pakistani boys, prior to Hamza`s success had won 11 titles (under-13, -15, -17 and -19) at the British Junior Open, the last one in 2012 when Israr Ahmed bagged the under-15 title. But none of these winners managed anything of note on the pro circuit. Israr is currently ranked 153rd in world.

Does this mean, the nation shouldn`t harbor any hopes from Hamza Khan? Is it another false dawn? No, there are reasons for optimism. The top four in the current world rankings, Mohamed ElShorbagy, Ali Farag, Tareq Momen and Karim Abdel Gawad, all Egyptians, have been past winners at the British Junior Open. Shorbagy, in fact, has been victorious five times: under-15, under-17 and thrice under-19.

Hamza`s career graph has displayed an upward curve till now. Success came to him in the very first tournament: the Chief of Air Staff under-11 in 2016. He also tasted success in his maiden international appearance, at the Qatar Open under-13 in 2017. At the British Junior Open, he was an under-13 semi-finalist in 2018.

A major title arrived soon. Hamza won the 2018 Asian Junior (under-15) title in Chennai, showing remarkable temperament in the final against an Indian who had the support of the crowd. In December same year, he was the runner-up at the US Junior Open under-15, having defeated the top seed in the semis.

Hamza`s second appearance at the British Junior Open was in 2019, this time in the under-15 category. He reached the fourth round without conceding a set before losing to eventual bronze medallist, Egyptian Kareem El Torky, in four sets. However, he retained the Asian Junior under-15 title the same year in Macau.

At the British Junior Open this January, he won all his six matches in straight sets, including the final against a home player.

Unseeded Jahangir Khan was only 15 when he won the World Amateur Championships (later discontinued) and was just 17 when he first won the World Open. Jansher won the World Open title when only 18.

At the age of 14, Hamza Khan has figured in under-19 tourneys. He was a member of Pakistan`s victorious squad at the Asian Junior (under-19) team event in 2019. Hamza was one of the youngest participants at the World Junior Open (under-19) the same year. Having won the first match in straight sets, he was two sets up in the second round. But the youngster lost the next three against his older and far more experienced opponent.

Hamza aims high. “I will be preparing in full earnest for the world junior (under-19) scheduled in Australia this June and I am hopeful for a good show,” he says. I view the age group events only as a stepping stone. After the world junior, I intend to get myself registered with the Professional Squash Association (PSA) so as to participate in the pro circuit.

“My ultimate goal is to bring back the big titles, British Open and World Open, to Pakistan,” Hamza adds.

Record 10-time British Open Champion Jahangir Khan`s phenomenal success owed a lot to his training regime, the most rigorous in the squash community. He was regarded among the fittest sportspersons in the world. About the record eight-time World Open Champion Jansher Khan, former world no 1 Qamar Zaman recalls, “He was simply mad right from teenage. I’ve never seen anyone working harder than him. He would train all day whether it was boiling hot or freezing cold. You could see from the determination that he was destined to be a world champion.”

His normal working day would be matches against a series of players followed by solo training. He would also run for miles without taking a break.

The path to success is well defined for Hamza who seems to have the necessary hunger and ambition. When Hamza, the newest squash Khan from Peshawar, completed his victory at the British Junior Open under-15 final, the live streaming British commentator remarked, “real talent in this young man from Pakistan.”

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