Squash (sport)

Nickname(s)	The Squash Sport
Registered players	Yes
Clubs	None
Characteristics
Contact	No
Team members	Single or Double
Categorization	Racquet sport
Equipment	Squash ball, squash racquet
Olympic	No But is recognized as an Olympic Sport

Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players (or in doubles 4 players on court at a time) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. Squash is recognized by the IOC and remains in contention for incorporation in a future Olympic programme.

The game was formerly called squash racquets, a reference to the "squashable" soft ball used in the game (compared with the fatter ball used in its parent game racquets (or rackets; see below).

History[link]

Squash is a sport developed from at least five other sports involving racquets, gloves, and balls having roots in the early 12th century in France.^[1] It is stated that “Squash, with its element of hitting balls against walls, was for entertainment. For example, boys slapped their balls in narrow alleys and streets”.^[1] Religious institutions in France, such as monasteries, developed a similar game. Monks used gloves that were webbed to hit balls against a fishing net strung across the middle of the courtyards of the monasteries.^[1] This developed the early “racquets” used in tennis and squash. Then in late fifteenth century, tennis was developed and spread to other European nations. The next major development of squash took place in England where the game of rackets_(sport) was developed in Fleet Prison, a debtor’s prison.^[1] Similar to tennis, it involved racquets and balls, but instead of hitting over a net as in tennis, players hit a non-squeezable ball against walls. A variation of rackets that also led to the formation of squash was called fives, similar to handball. Fives was essentially the game of racquets, without racquets. (The ball was hit with the hand.)^[1] It is played against a wall or walls.

Old and new styled Squash racquets

These games gained popularity in schools, and squash itself was developed at Harrow School in England.^[2] The first courts built at this school were rather dangerous because they were near water pipes, buttresses, chimneys, and ledges. The school soon built four outside courts. Natural rubber was the material of choice for the ball. Students modified their racquets to have a smaller reach to play in these cramped conditions.^[1]

The racquets have changed in much the same way as those used in tennis. Squash rackets used to be made out of laminated timber.^[3] In the 1980s, construction shifted to lighter, carbon-based materials (such as graphite) with small additions of such components as Kevlar, boron and titanium. Natural "gut" strings were replaced with synthetic strings.^[3]

In the 20th century the game increased in popularity with various schools, clubs and even private citizens building squash courts, but with no set dimensions. The first squash court in North America appeared at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire in 1884. In 1904 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the earliest national association of squash in the world was formed as the United States Squash Racquets Association, (USSRA), now known as US-Squash. In April 1907 the Tennis, Rackets & Fives Association set up a sub committee to set standards for squash. Then the sport soon formed, combining the three sports together called “Squash”. It was not until 1923 that the Royal Automobile Club hosted a meeting to further discuss the rules and regulations and another five years elapsed before the Squash Rackets Association was formed to set standards for squash in Great Britain.^[1]

The sport spread to America and Canada, and eventually around the globe. It was founded in 1924 in New York as Metropolitan Racquets Association, or MSRA.Players such as F.D. Amr Bey of Egypt dominated the courts in the 1930s. Heather McKay of Australia dominated the game during the 1960s and 1970s, winning sixteen consecutive British Open titles between 1962 and 1977. Another Australian, Geoff Hunt, won a record eight British Open male titles between 1969 and 1981. During the 1980s and 1990s Jahangir Khan of Pakistan won the British Open a record of ten times and Jansher Khan of Pakistan won the World Open a record of eight times.^[2] No list of squash champions is complete without referencing the legendary Pakistani Hashim Khan, winner of 7 British Open championships, and his son, Sharif Khan, winner of 12 North American Open titles. Hashim is considered one of the best athletes of all times and is the patriarch of a sports dynasty, consisting of himself, his brother, Azam, nephews Mohibullah and Gul, sons Sharif, Gulmast, Aziz, Liaquat Ali, and Salim Khan - all of whom are squash champions in their own right. Jansher Khan, although sharing the same legal last name, is not considered part of the "Khan Dynasty" of squash as he is not related to Hashim Khan.

Playing equipment[link]

Standard racquets are governed by the rules of the game. Traditionally they were made of laminated wood (typically ash), with a small strung area using natural gut strings. After a rule change in the mid-1980s, they are now almost always made of composite materials or metals (graphite, kevlar, titanium, boron) with synthetic strings. Modern rackets have maximum dimensions of 686 mm (27.0 in) long and 215 mm (8.5 in) wide, with a maximum strung area of 500 square centimetres (90 sq in), the permitted maximum mass is 255 grams (9.0 oz), but most have a mass between 110 and 200 grams (4-7 oz.).

Squash balls are between 39.5 and 40.5 mm in diameter, and have a mass of 23 to 25 grams.^[4] They are made with two pieces of rubber compound, glued together to form a hollow sphere and buffed to a matte finish. Different balls are provided for varying temperature and atmospheric conditions and standards of play: more experienced players use slow balls that have less bounce than those used by less experienced players (slower balls tend to 'die' in court corners, rather than 'standing up' to allow easier shots). Depending on its specific rubber composition, a squash ball has the property that it bounces more at higher temperatures. Typically a squash ball requires a few shots to be warmed up at the beginning of a session; cold squash balls have very little bounce. Small coloured dots on the ball indicate its dynamic level (bounciness), and thus the standard of play for which it is suited. The recognized speed colours indicating the degree of dynamism are:

A double yellow squash ball.

Balls are manufactured to these standards by Prince, Dunlop, Pointfore, Wilson, Black Knight and others. The "double-yellow dot" ball, introduced in 2000, is currently the competition standard, replacing the earlier "yellow-dot" ball. There is also an "orange dot" ball, which is even less bouncy than the "double-yellow dot" ball, intended for use in areas of high altitude such as Mexico City, Denver, and Johannesburg, In Calgary and other Alberta Canada high altitude areas the Dunlop Teal aka Green dot is often used. The lower atmospheric pressure at these high altitude regions means that the ball bounces slightly higher, resulting in the need for such a ball.

Given the game's vigorousness, players wear comfortable sports clothing and robust indoor (non-marking) sports shoes. In competition, men usually wear shorts and a t-shirt, tank top or a polo shirt. Women normally wear a skirt and a t-shirt or a tank top, or a sports dress. Towelling wrist and head bands may also be required in humid climates. Polycarbonate lens goggles are recommended, as players might be struck with a fast-swinging racket or the ball, that typically reaches speeds exceeding 200 km/h (125 mph). In the 2011 U.S. Open, Cameron Pilley was recorded driving balls at speeds of 175 mph (280 km/h). Many squash venues mandate the use of eye protection and some association rules require that all juniors and doubles players must wear eye protection.

Basic rules and gameplay[link]

The court[link]

The glass show court used at the 2011 US Open Squash Championships hosted by Drexel University at the Daskalakis Athletic Center

Dimensions for a Singles Court

The squash court is a playing surface surrounded by four walls. The court surface contains a front line separating the front and back of the court and a half court line, separating the left and right hand sides of the back portion of the court, creating three 'boxes' - the front half, the back left quarter and the back right quarter. Both the back two boxes contain smaller service boxes. All of the floor-markings on a squash court are only relevant during serves.

There are four walls to a squash court. The front wall, on which three parallel lines are marked, has the largest playing surface, whilst the back wall, which typically contains the entrance to the court, has the smallest. The out line runs along the top of the front wall, descending along the side walls to the back wall. There are no other markings on the side or back walls. Shots struck above or on the out line, on any wall, are out. The bottom line of the front wall marks the top of the 'tin', a half metre-high metal area which if struck means that the ball is out. In this way the tin can be seen as analogous to the net in other racquet sports such as tennis. The middle line of the front wall is the service line and is only relevant during serves.

Service[link]

Just before the match, the players spin a racket (usually up or down of logo) to decide who serves first. This player starts the first rally by electing to serve from either the left or right service box. For a legal serve, one of the server's feet must be touching the service box, not touching any part of the service box lines, as the player strikes the ball. After being struck by the racket, the ball must strike the front wall above the service line and below the out line and land in the opposite quarter court. The receiving player can choose to volley a serve after it has hit the front wall. If the server wins the point, the two players switch sides for the following point.

Play[link]

After the serve, the players take turns hitting the ball against the front wall, above the tin and below the out line. The ball may strike the side or back walls at any time, as long as it hits below the out line. It must not hit the floor after hitting the racket and before hitting the front wall. A ball landing on either the out line or the line along the top of the tin is considered to be out. After the ball hits the front wall, it is allowed to bounce once on the floor (and any number of times against the side or back walls) before a player must return it. Players may move anywhere around the court but accidental or deliberate obstruction of the other player's movements is forbidden. Players typically return to the center of the court after making a shot.

Scoring systems[link]

Squash scoring systems have evolved over time. The original scoring system is known as English scoring, also called hand-out scoring. Under this system, if the server wins a rally, they receive a point, while if the returner wins the rally, only the service changes (i.e., the ball goes "hand-out") and no point is given. The first player to reach 9 points wins the game. However, if the score reaches 8-8, the player who was first to reach 8 decides whether the game will be played to 9, as before (called "set one"), or to 10 (called "set two"). At one time this scoring system was preferred in Britain, and also among countries with traditional British ties, such as Australia, Canada, Pakistan, South Africa and India.

The current official scoring system for all levels of professional and amateur squash is called point-a-rally scoring (PARS). In PARS, the winner of a rally always receives a point, regardless of whether they were the server or returner. Games are played to 11, but in contrast to English scoring, players must win by two clear points. That is, if the score reaches 10-10, play continues until one player wins by two points. PARS to 11 is now used on the men's professional tour, and the tin height has been lowered by two inches for the men's professional tournaments (these changes have been made in a hope to shorten the length of the rallies and therefore the match). The women's professional tour uses the original tin height, but started using the PARS to 11 scoring system as of July 2008.

Competition matches are usually played to "best-of-five" (i.e., the player to win the most out of five games).

Referee[link]

The referee is usually a certified position issued by the club or assigned squash league. The referee has dominant power over the squash players. Any conflict or interference is dealt with by the referee. The referee may also issue to take away points or games due to improper etiquette regarding conduct or rules. Refer to “Interference and Obstruction” for more detail. In addition the referee is usually responsible for the scoring of games. Nowadays,three referees are usually used in professional tournaments. The Central referee has responsibility to call the score and make decisions with the two side referees.

Types of shots played[link]

There are many types of shots played that lead to interesting games and strategy.

• Straight drive or 'rail': The ball is hit parallel and close to a side wall to travel deep to the back of the court (the 'basic' squash shot). Often referred to as a 'good length' shot.
• Boast (or angle): The ball is played off a side wall at an angle, or the back wall, before hitting the front wall.
• Volley: The ball is hit 'on the full' (before it touches the floor), usually directly to the front wall
• Drop shot: The ball is hit gently against the front wall, to fall softly to the floor in the front corner.
• Lob: The ball is hit softly and high on the front wall and with a high arc, so that it falls in a back corner of the court.
• Cross Court: The ball is hit to the front wall from the right side to the left (or vice versa).
• Kill: The ball is hit hard and low on the front wall so that it travels no farther than half court.
• Trickle boast: A 'short' boast where the ball is hit to the side wall at the front of the court (often disguised as a drive or drop shot).
• Squeeze boast: A more difficult shot which is hit from the front of the court when the ball is very close to the side wall. Has the same effect as the trickle boast but is more deceptive because of its difficulty.
• Skid boast: The ball is hit high to the side wall near the front wall so that it travels cross court and falls in the opposite back corner.
• Nick shot: the ball is 'volleyed' or hit off a bounce, cross court and with power to strike the front wall then the junction of the side wall and floor (the 'nick'). When hit well, the ball will have little or no bounce or roll along the floor (this is a more advanced shot that is a variation of the kill shot).
• Back wall boast: the ball is hit moderately hard and high off the back wall, so that it goes the length of the room and hits (usually low) off the front wall.
• Philadelphia (or corkscrew): A shot played diagonally upwards into the front corner hitting the front wall first and then the side wall. The ball then lobs over the court with significant spin. Ideally it hits the opposite side wall at the back and travels parallel to the rear wall making a return very difficult. This shot is a favourite in exhibition squash but is susceptible to being volleyed.
• Mizuki: This shot is hit on the backhand side of the court, as a volley. Unlike a normal backhand volley, the Mizuki is hit with the back side of the racquet. This shot is extremely hard to hit and only very few people can use it effectively in a match.

Strategy and tactics[link]

A key strategy in squash is known as "dominating the T" (the intersection of the red lines near the centre of the court where the player is in the best position to retrieve the opponent's next shot). Skilled players will return a shot, and then move back toward the "T" before playing the next shot. From this position, the player can quickly access any part of the court to retrieve the opponent's next shot with a minimum of movement.

A common strategy is to hit the ball straight up the side walls to the back corners; this is the basic squash shot, referred to as a "rail," straight drive, wall, or "length." After hitting this shot, the player will then move to the centre of the court near the "T" to be well placed to retrieve the opponent's return. Attacking with soft or "short" shots to the front corners (referred to as "drop shots") causes the opponent to cover more of the court and may result in an outright winner. Boasts or angle shots are deliberately struck off one of the side walls before the ball reaches the front. They are used for deception and again to cause the opponent to cover more of the court.

Rallies between experienced players may involve 30 or more shots and therefore a very high premium is placed on fitness, both aerobic and anaerobic. As players become more skilled and, in particular, better able to retrieve shots, points often become a war of attrition. At higher levels of the game, the fitter player has a major advantage.

Ability to change the direction of ball at the last instant is also important to unbalance the opponent. Expert players can anticipate the opponent's shot a few tenths of a second before the average player, giving them a chance to react sooner^{[citation needed]}.

Depending on the style of play, it is common to refer squash players^[5][6] as

• Power players: squash players who build up their game based on powerful shots. For example, John White, Grégory Gaultier.
• Shot makers: squash players who emphasize on shot making. For example, Jonathon Power, Ramy Ashour, Amr Shabana.
• Retrievers: squash players who are excellent on court coverage and retrieving shots. For example, Peter Nicol.
• Attritional players: squash players who play tight shots and base their games on physical strength. For example, David Palmer, Nick Matthew.

Interference and obstruction[link]

Interference and obstruction are an inevitable aspect of this sport, since two players are confined within a shared space. Generally, the rules entitle players to a clear view of the ball after it has struck the front wall, direct straight line access to the ball, room for a reasonable swing and an unobstructed shot to any part of the front wall. When interference occurs, a player may appeal for a "let" and the referee (or the players themselves if there is no official) then interprets the extent of the interference. The referee may elect to allow a let and the players then replay the point, or award a "stroke" to the appealing player (meaning that he is declared the winner of that point) depending on the degree of interference, whether the interfering player made an adequate effort to avoid interfering, and whether the player interfered with was likely to have hit a winning shot had the interference not occurred. An exception to all of this occurs when the interfering player is directly in the path of the other player's swing, effectively preventing the swing, in which case a stroke is always awarded.

When it is deemed that there has been little or no interference, or that it is impossible to say one way or the other, the rules provide that no let is to be allowed, in the interests of continuity of play and the discouraging of spurious appeals for lets. Because of the subjectivity in interpreting the nature and magnitude of interference, the awarding (or withholding) of lets and strokes is often controversial.

When a player's shot hits their opponent prior to hitting the front wall, interference has occurred. If the ball was travelling towards the side wall when it hit the opponent, or if had already hit the side wall and is now travelling directly to the front wall, it is usually a let. However, it is a stroke to the player who hit the ball if the ball was travelling straight to the front wall when the ball hit the opponent, without having first hit the side wall. Generally after a player has been hit by the ball, both players stand still, if the struck player is standing directly in front of the player who hit the ball he loses the stroke, if he is not straight in front, a let is played. If it is deemed that the player who is striking the ball is deliberately trying to hit his opponent, he will lose the stroke. An exception to all of this occurs when the player hitting the ball has "turned", i.e., let the ball pass him on one side, but then hit it on the other side as it came off the back wall. In these cases, the stroke goes to the player who was hit by the ball.

Cultural, social, and health aspects[link]

There are several variations of squash played across the world. In the U.S. hardball singles and doubles are played with a much harder ball and different size courts (as noted above). Hardball singles has lost much of its popularity in North America (in favour of the International version), but the hardball doubles game is still active. There is also a doubles version of squash played with the standard ball, sometimes on a wider court, and a more tennis-like variation known as squash tennis.

The relatively small court and low-bouncing ball makes scoring points easier than in its American cousin, racquetball, as the ball may be played to all four corners of the court. Since every ball must strike the front wall above the tin (unlike racquetball), the ball cannot be easily "killed".

Squash provides an excellent cardiovascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend approximately 600 to 1000 calories (3,000 to 4,000 kJ),.^[7] The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilising both the legs to run around the court and the arms and torso to swing the racquet. In 2003, Forbes rated squash as the number one healthiest sport to play.^[7] However, some studies have implicated squash as a cause of possible fatal cardiac arrhythmia and argued that squash is an inappropriate form of exercise for older men with heart disease.^[8]

Squash around the world[link]

According to the World Squash Federation, as of June 2009, there were 49,908 squash courts in the world, with 188 countries and territories having at least one court. England had the greatest number at 8,500. The other countries with more than 1,000 courts, in descending order by number were Germany, Egypt, the United States of America, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, and Spain.^[9]

As of June 2009, there were players from nineteen countries in the top fifty of the men's world rankings, with England and Egypt leading with eleven each.^[10] The women's world rankings featured players from sixteen countries, led by England with eleven.

The men's professional squash tour and rankings are run by the Professional Squash Association (PSA). The equivalent body for women is the Women's International Squash Players Association (WISPA)and also(WSA)

As well as Europe, Asia also potent a good number of World class squash players. For instance, Jansher Khan,^[11] who was at the top of the PSA world ranking for many years. He was a Pakistani legend. Mohd Azlan Iskandar is now amongst the top 10 Internationally ranked players according to PSA^[12] who is a Malaysian citizen. Not just major countries but Bangladesh, despite being still an underdeveloped country, shows a bright future in this form of sport, with a flourishing amount of tournaments arranged recently,^[13] many promising players is coming up from this country, Already the top two youngsters of Bangladesh Squash Federation, Shomokami Tamim and Habbarter Ribhu are said to be attending the 2012 World Junior Championships in Cairo. Recent measures taken by the Government as well as the efforts made by the officials of the federation have resulted in the growth of popularity of squash in Bangladesh. The Government has proposed to provide a land where the main Federation headquarters will be built. Already two back to back tournaments have taken place in Dhaka Club. On June ,2011 there was the Grameenphone open squash tournament, where Swapon Parvez of Basundhara group emerged as the champion of the premier division beating Shaheed of Gulshan Club. Another talent that was observed during the tournament was Iman from Gulshan Club who became the champion of in U-18 division.^[14] After just one month on August another tournament was held which was Digital Auto Care Open Squash. In this tournament as well Swapon Parvez rose as the champion beating Raju Ram of American Club, who is one of the rising stars of squash in Bangladesh.^[15] The secretary of Squash Rackets Federation has also promised to hold another national tournament in the coming month of September.

Players and records[link]

The (British) Squash Rackets Association (now known as England Squash & Racketball) conducted its first British Open championship for men in December 1930, using a "challenge" system. Charles Read was designated champion in 1930, but was beaten in home and away matches by Don Butcher, who was then recorded as the champion for 1931. The championship continues to this day, but has been conducted with a "knockout" format since 1947.

The women's championship started in 1921, and has been dominated by relatively few players: Joyce Cave and Nancy Cave (England) in the 1920s; Margot Lumb (USA) 1930s; Janet Morgan (England) 1950s; Heather McKay (Australia) 1960s and 1970s; Vicki Cardwell (Australia) and Susan Devoy (New Zealand) 1980s; Michelle Martin (Australia) 1990s; and Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Australia) 1990s and Nicol David (Malaysia) 2000s.

The Men's British Open has similarly been dominated by relatively few players: F.D. Amr Bey (Egypt) in the 1930s; Mahmoud Karim (Egypt) in the 1940s; brothers Hashim Khan and Azam Khan (Pakistan) in the 1950s and 1960s; Jonah Barrington (Great Britain and Ireland) and Geoff Hunt (Australia) in the 1960s and 1970s; Jahangir Khan (Pakistan) in the 1980s; Jansher Khan (Pakistan) in the 1990s, and recently, Jonathon Power (1998); Peter Nicol (1999), David Palmer (2002, 2006), and Thierry Lincou (2004). Amr Shabana is the most successful player after above have retired (2003,2005,2007,2009), and a younger Egyptian Ramy Ashourn (2008), and the first Englishman can the champions after Peter Nicol, who is the double world open champions-Nick Matthew (2010,2011)

Heather McKay, with her lengthy and absolute dominance of the game (she remained undefeated for 18 years during the 1960s and 1970s), is arguably the greatest woman player of all time.

Because of its traditions, the British Open has been considered by many to be more prestigious than the World Open, which began in the mid-1970s. However, some have shown concern about the ability of the former to sustain its prominence, citing its failure in 2005 to attract top players, probably due in part to the disparity in prize money. In 2005 the combined men's and women's prize money for the British Open came to $71,000 compared with the 2005 World Open's prize money, estimated to be about $270,000.

Previous world number one Peter Nicol stated that he believed squash had a "very realistic chance" of being added to the list of Olympic sports for the 2016 Olympic Games,^[16] but it ultimately lost out to golf and rugby sevens.

As of January 2011^[update] the number 1 rank is held by Nick Matthew of England in the men's competition^[17] and Nicol David of Malaysia in the women's competition.^[17] Currently there is no international standard method (other than for professional players) for evaluating skill levels for players.

Wider acceptance[link]

Squash has been featured regularly at the multi-sport events of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games since 1998. Squash is also a regular sport at the Pan American Games since 1995. However it is still not recognized as an Olympic sport. Squash players and associations have lobbied for many years for the sport to be accepted into the Olympic Games, with no success to date. Squash narrowly missed being instated for the 2012 London Games. It was again up for consideration for the 2016 Summer Games along with baseball, softball, rugby sevens, karate, golf, and roller sports, but missed out again as the IOC assembly decided to add golf and rugby sevens to the Olympic programme.^[18]

See also[link]

• Compare with Racquetball
• List of squash players
• World Squash Federation
• Hardball squash
• List of WISPA number 1 ranked players
• World Open
• British Open Squash Championships
• World Doubles Squash Championships
• U.S. intercollegiate squash champions
• US Junior Open squash championship

Notes[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Satterthwaite, Frank (1979). The three-wall nick and other angles : a squash autobiography. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. ISBN 0-03-016666-7. 
• Zug, James; Plimpton, George, Squash: a history of the game, New York : Scribner, 2003. ISBN 0-7432-2990-8

External links[link]

Find more about Squash on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• World Squash Federation
• Glossary of Squash Terms - From U.S. Squash
• Squash Rules - Official & Abbreviated
• Squash for 2016
• Dutch Squash Professional website
• Indian Squash Professional website
• Italian Squash Federation website
• FREE Squash Challenge Ladder Online Application website
• Hong Kong Squash
• Spain Squash
• Taipei Squash
• Online Encyclopedia of Squash

Peter Nicol
Nickname(s)	The Boss
Country	England  Scotland (until March, 2001)
Residence	London, England
Born	(1973-04-05) 5 April 1973 (age 39) Inverurie, Scotland
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned Pro	1994
Retired	2006
Plays	Left handed
Coached by	Neil Harvey
Racquet used	Prince
Website	www.peternicolsquash.com
Men's singles
Highest ranking	No. 1 (February, 1998)
Title(s)	52
Tour final(s)	69
World Open	W (1999)
Medal record Competitor for  Scotland Squash Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur Men's Singles Bronze 1998 Kuala Lumpur Men's Doubles Competitor for  England Commonwealth Games Silver 2002 Manchester Men's Singles Gold 2006 Melbourne Men's Singles
Last updated on: September 19, 2010.

Peter Nicol, MBE (born 5 April 1973 in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire), is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking. During his career, he won one World Open title, two British Open titles, and four Commonwealth Games Gold Medals. He is widely considered to be one of the most outstanding international squash players of his time.^[1]

Career overview[link]

During his career, Nicol was well known for his excellent retrieving game, as well as being an extremely tough competitor to break down. His rivalry with the Canadian player Jonathon Power was amongst the most famous and extended in the history of squash.

Nicol was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 60 months during his career, including a continuous 24 month stint in 2002-2003.

After finishing runner-up at the World Open in 1997 and 1998, Nicol won the title in 1999, beating Ahmed Barada of Egypt in the final 15–9, 15–13, 15–11. He continued to hold the title of "world champion" through to 2002 as the men's World Open was not held in 2000 or 2001 due to difficulties in securing sponsorship for the event.

After initially representing Scotland in international squash, Nicol switched his representation to England in 2001, claiming that he felt he was not receiving sufficient support from Scottish Squash, the national governing body. Some resented this switch, even going so far as calling it traitorous, suggesting it was rooted in financial gain.^[2]

Nicol enjoyed considerable success at the Commonwealth Games, where squash became a medal sport in 1998. In 1998, representing Scotland, he won a men's singles Gold Medal (beating Jonathon Power in the final), and a men's doubles Bronze Medal. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, representing England, Nicol won a men's singles Silver Medal (losing in the final to Power), and a men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Lee Beachill). In 2006, again representing England, Nicol won another men's singles Gold Medal (beating Australia's David Palmer in the final), and another men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Beachill again).

Other career highlights included winning three consecutive Super Series Finals titles (1999–2001), two PSA Masters titles (2000 & 2004), three Tournament of Champions titles (2001 & 2003-4), and two British National Championship titles (1996 & 2003).

Retirement[link]

In July 2006, Nicol announced that he would be retiring after the 2006 World Open in September.^[3] Nicol's final match was a loss to Thierry Lincou in the quarter-finals.^[4]

Nicol now has turned his focus to promoting the game, providing sponsorship, support and coaching through his company Peter Nicol Squash, and promoting events worldwide through Eventis Sports Marketing Ltd. As the recently named squash ambassador for Prince, Nicol's long-time sponsor, Nicol coincided a launch of Peternicolsquash.com, an online retailer of Prince equipment.

World Open final appearances[link]

British Open final appearances[link]

Commonwealth Games final appearances[link]

Nicol also won men's doubles Gold Medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006 (partnering Lee Beachill on both occasions).

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Peter Nicol profile on the PSA official website
• Peter Nicol profile on SquashInfo
• Page at Squashpics.com
• Article regarding Nicol's switch from Scotland to England
• Article on the announcement of Nicol's retirement
• Article on Nicol's retirement
• BBC article on the announcement of Nicol's retirement

Jahangir Khan during the 2009 Kuwait Open held in Safarat, Kuwait City.
Country	Pakistan
Residence	Karachi, Pakistan
Born	(1963-12-10) December 10, 1963 (age 48) Karachi, Pakistan
Retired	1993
Men's singles
Highest ranking	No. 1
World Open	W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988)
Last updated on: September 19, 2010.

Jahangir Khan, HI, (born 10 December 1963, in Karachi, Pakistan^[1]) (sometimes spelled "Jehangir Khan") is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game.^[2][3][4] Jahangir Khan is an ethnic Pashtun, originally from Neway Kelay, Peshawar.^[5] During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. Between 1981 and 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play for five years. During that time he won 555 games consecutively, the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports as recorded by Guinness World Records.^[6] He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation since 2002.

Playing career[link]

Jahangir was coached initially by his father, Roshan Khan, the 1957 British Open champion, and then by his late brother Torsam Khan. After his brother's sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat Khan, who guided Jahangir through most of his career. Ironically, during his earlier years, Jahangir was a sickly child and physically very weak. Though the doctors had advised him not to take part in any sort of physical activity, after undergoing a couple of hernia operations his father let him play and try out their family game.

In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Jahangir to play in the world championships in Australia, judging him too weak from a recent illness. Jahangir decided instead to enter himself in the World Amateur Individual Championship and, at the age of 15, became the youngest-ever winner of that event.

In November 1979, Jahangir's older brother Torsam Khan, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during a tournament match in Australia. Torsam's death affected Jahangir profoundly. He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother.

Five-year unbeaten run[link]

In 1981, when he was 17, Jahangir became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia's Geoff Hunt (the game's dominant player in the late-1970s) in the final. That tournament marked the start of an unbeaten run which lasted for five years and 555 matches. The hallmark of his play was his incredible fitness and stamina, which Rehmat Khan helped him build-up through a punishing training and conditioning regime. Jahangir was quite simply the fittest player in the game, and would wear his opponents down through long rallies played at a furious pace.

In 1982, Jahangir astonished everyone by winning the International Squash Players Association Championship without losing a single point.

The unbeaten run finally came to end in the final of the World Open in 1986 in Toulouse, France, when Jahangir lost to New Zealand's Ross Norman. Norman had been in pursuit of Jahangir's unbeaten streak, being beaten time and time again. "One day Jahangir will be slightly off his game and I will get him", he vowed for five years.

Speaking about his unbeaten streak, Jahangir said: "It wasn't my plan to create such a record. All I did was put in the effort to win every match I played and it went on for weeks, months and years until my defeat to Ross Norman in Toulouse in 1986."

"The pressure began to mount as I kept winning every time and people were anxious to see if I could be beaten. In that World Open final, Ross got me. It was exactly five years and eight months. I was unbeaten for another nine months after that defeat."

Success in the hardball game[link]

With his dominance over the international squash game in the first half of the 1980s secure, Jahangir decided to test his ability on the North American hardball squash circuit in 1983–1986. (Hardball squash is a North American variant of the game, played on smaller courts with a faster-moving ball.) Jahangir played in 13 top-level hardball tournaments during this period, winning 12 of them. He faced the leading American player on the circuit at the time, Mark Talbott, on 11 occasions (all in tournament finals), and won 10 of their encounters. With his domination of both the softball and hardball versions of the game, Jahangir truly cemented his reputation as the world's greatest squash player. His success in North America is considered by some observers to be among the factors which led to growing interest in the international "softball" version of squash in the continent, and the demise of the hardball game in the late-1980s and 1990s.

Rivalry with Jansher Khan[link]

At the end of 1986 another Pakistani squash player, Jansher Khan, appeared on the international scene to challenge Jahangir's domination. (Jansher is not known to be directly related to Jahangir, but their families originate from the same village in the Peshawar region of northern Pakistan, so they may be distantly related.) Jahangir won their first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987. But Jansher scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987, beating him in straight games in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open. Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters and capture the 1987 World Open title.

Jahangir ended Jansher's winning streak in March 1988, and went on to win 11 of their next 15 encounters. The pair met in the 1988 World Open final, with Jahangir emerging the victor. But by that point it had become clear that squash now had two dominant players. The pair would continue to dominate the game for the rest of the decade. Jansher and Jahangir met a total of 37 times in tournament play. Jansher won 19 matches (74 games and 1,426 points), and Jahangir 18 matches (79 games and 1,459 points). This record doesn't include exhibition matches and league matches between them.

Jahangir did not win the World Open again after 1988, but he continued a stranglehold over the British Open title which he captured a record ten successive times between 1982 and 1991.

World Open final appearances[link]

British Open final appearances[link]

Training regime[link]

In a documentary on himself telecast on GEO Super, Jahangir revealed that he never had any fixed training regime particularly designed for him, nor had he any specially formulated diet - he would eat anything hygienic but never miss two glasses of milk every day.

For his training, he would often start his day with a 9-mile (14 km) jog which he would complete in 60–120 minutes at a moderate pace, followed by short bursts of timed sprints. Later he would weight train in the gym finally cooling down in the pools. He would follow this routine 5 days a week. On the 6th day he would match practice and rest on the 7th day.

He also said that he has experienced running on every surface - from custom-built tracks to asphalt roads, grass & farm fields to sea shores & knee-deep waters. Sometimes he would also visit the northern areas of Pakistan to train in high altitude fields under low oxygen conditions. All in all it made Jahangir one of the most physically and mentally fit athletes in the world.

Awards, services and recognition[link]

Jahangir retired as a player in 1993 after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. The Government of Pakistan honoured Jahangir with the awards of Pride of Performance and civil award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) for his achievements in squash. They also awarded him the title of Sportsman of the Millennium.

In 1990, Jahangir was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association, and in 1997, Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation. He was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation in November 1998, and in October 2002 was elected WSF President. In 2004, he was again unanimously re-elected as President of the World Squash Federation at the International Federation's 33rd Annual General Meeting in Casa Noyale, Mauritius.

Time Magazine has named Jahangir as one of Asia's Heroes in the last 60 years.^[8]

Jahangir Khan was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport.

Due to his immense and absolute dominance in squash he was nicknamed "The Conqueror" (a loose translation of his first name).^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Jahangir is of Pashtun ethnicity. His family originated from a village near Peshawar named Nawakille (sometimes spelled "Noakili").^[9] Jahangir currently lives in Karachi with his wife, Rubina, and their children, Omar and Marium. Musician Natasha Khan, better known as Bat for Lashes, is Jahangir's cousin.^[10]

See also[link]

• List of squash players
• Jansher Khan
• World Open
• British Open Squash Championships
• Roshan Khan
• Torsam Khan
• Rehmat Khan
• World Squash Federation
• List of Pakistanis

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jahangir Khan

• Jahangir Khan profile on the PSA official website
• Jahangir Khan profile on SquashInfo
• The Incredible Khans of Squash: Part III Jahangir
• The Khan Family, A Squash Dynasty Part III
• Pakistan Squash - The Khan Supremacy Part VII
• Jahangir Khan page at Squashpics.com
• Details of Jahangir's rivalry with Jansher Khan
• Article on Jahangir's hardball squash rivalry with Mark Talbott
• World Squash Awards
• The KhanSquash Management Group - (archived)