Jahangir Khan calls for professional management to revive Pakistan squash

LAHORE: Legendary Pakistani squash player Jahangir Khan has called for professional management and the implementation of the principle of “the right man for the right job” to revive Pakistan’s declining fortunes in international squash.

During a ceremony at the Nishtar Sports Complex on Saturday, the former world champion said the lack of professional administration was the primary reason behind Pakistan’s fall from dominance in the sport.

“The main reason behind Pakistan’s decline in squash is that professional people are not running its affairs,” Jahangir said, pointing out that professionals in other countries were successfully managing the sport and producing strong results.

Pakistan enjoyed nearly three decades of dominance in international squash, a period Jahangir described as a unique achievement that no other country had matched. He expressed disappointment over the way the sport had been managed in Pakistan since then.

Jahangir suggested that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which has historically played an important role in squash, could continue as the sport’s patron-in-chief, while stressing that all technical matters should be handled by qualified professionals.

The squash great also rejected the notion that Pakistan lacked talent, insisting that the country still had plenty of capable players. He emphasised that success required hard work, recalling that players during his era trained for around eight hours every day.

The 62-year-old Jahangir remains one of the greatest squash players in history. He won six World Open and 10 British Open titles between 1982 and 1991 and holds the remarkable record of 555 consecutive international victories from 1981 to 1986.

The occasion also marked the handover of three newly constructed squash courts at the Nishtar Sports Complex by the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) to Pakistan Squash Academies.

Jahangir said completing the facility was particularly special for him, revealing that he had dreamed of playing there since construction began in 1992.

He praised the complex as a state-of-the-art facility and said it could provide young players with valuable opportunities to develop their skills. He also thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Punjab Sports Department and its officials for developing the facility.

Meanwhile, SBP Director General Tariq Qureshi briefed participants about the facilities available at the complex and confirmed that an MoU had been signed with Pakistan Squash Academies.

Qureshi also said that two volleyball gymnasiums were being constructed in Sargodha and Faisalabad, explaining that the SBP could not develop facilities for every sport in Lahore.

He acknowledged that the availability of suitable venues in major cities was an important consideration for international sporting bodies when deciding where to stage events in Pakistan.