Jansher Khan
| Full name | Jansher Khan |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | King Khan, The Punisher |
| Country |
 Pakistan |
| Residence | Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Born |
June 15, 1969 Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Height | 6'1" |
| Turned Pro | 1986 |
| Retired | 2002 |
| Plays | Right handed |
| Men's singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (January, 1988, Till Dec 2000) |
| Title(s) | 99 |
| World Open | W (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) |
| Last updated on: September 19, 2010. | |
Jansher Khan (Urdu: جان شیر خان; born 15 June 1969, in Peshawar, Pakistan[1]) was a world No. 1 professional Pakistani squash player. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times. Jansher's skill of movement singled him out from the competition, holding "all the top squash experts in awe."[2] Jansher Khan's retirement brought an end to nearly 50 years of domination by Pakistan in the sport of squash.[3]
Family
His son Kamran Khan is a Malaysian professional squash player.[4]
Rivalry with Jahangir
Jansher won the World Junior Squash Championship title in 1986 And At Same Year He Won Record The Youngest Player to Become Senior World Champion and also Became Professional that year. At the time, the men's professional tour was dominated by another great Pakistani player – Jahangir Khan. Jahangir won the pair's first few encounters in late-1986 and early-1987. Jansher then 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 ten consecutive encounters. This included a win in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Open, following which Jansher claimed his first World Open title by beating Australia's Chris Dittmar in the final.
Retirement and after squash
Jansher officially announced his retirement from squash in 2001. He won a total of 99 professional titles and was ranked the World No. 1 for over 10 years.
In August 2007, Jansher announced that he was coming out of retirement to play in a Professional Squash Association tournament in London in October 2007. He said in a news conference that the reason for his comeback was that, "I feel I am mentally and physically fit to play the international circuit for another three to four years".[5] He lost in the opening round of the event to England's Scott Handley 11–9, 6–11, 6–11 0–11.[6]
In October 2011, It was revealed that Jansher was suffering from Parkinson's disease.[7]
World Open final appearances
| Wins (8) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1987 | Chris Dittmar | 9–5, 9–4, 4–9, 9–6 |
| 1989 | Chris Dittmar | 7–15, 6–15, 15–4, 15–11, 15–10 |
| 1990 | Chris Dittmar | 15–8, 17–15, 13–15, 15–5 |
| 1992 | Chris Dittmar | 15–11, 15–9, 10–15, 15–6 |
| 1993 | Jahangir Khan | 14–15, 15–9, 15–5, 15–5 |
| 1994 | Peter Marshall | 10–15, 15–11, 15–8, 15–4 |
| 1995 | Del Harris | 15–10, 17–14, 16–17, 15–8 |
| 1996 | Rodney Eyles | 15–13, 17–15, 11–15, 15–3 |
| Runners-up (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1988 | Jahangir Khan | 6–9, 2–9, 2–9 |
British Open final appearances
| Wins (6) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1992 | Chris Robertson | 9–7, 10–9, 9–5 |
| 1993 | Chris Dittmar | 9–6, 9–5, 6–9, 9–2 |
| 1994 | Brett Martin | 9–1, 9–0, 9–10, 9–1 |
| 1995 | Peter Marshall | 15–4, 15–4, 15–5 |
| 1996 | Rodney Eyles | 15–13, 15–8, 15–10 |
| 1997 | Peter Nicol | 17–15, 9–15, 15–12, 8–15, 15–8 |
| Runners-up (3) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1987 | Jahangir Khan | 6–9, 0–9, 5–9 |
| 1991 | Jahangir Khan | 9–2, 4–9, 4–9, 0–9 |
| 1998 | Peter Nicol | 16–17, 4–15, 5–15 |
References
- ↑ "Jansher Khan". Britannica. Britannica.com. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- ↑ Pearson, David. "Movement is the Key". colorado.edu. University of Colorado, Boulder. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
When Jansher Khan first appeared on the world scene it was his movement, not his racket skills, that singled him out and held all the top squash experts in awe.
- ↑ Sansom, Ian. "Great dynasties of the world: The Khans". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ↑ "In search of his true self | Doha Stadium Plus". Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ↑ Pakistan's Jansher to return after five-year absence, Reuters India, 30 August 2007
- ↑ Handley gives Jansher a reality check, SquashTalk, 11 October 2007
- ↑ "Jansher Khan diagnosed with Parkinson's disease". The Times of India. The Times Group. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
External links
- Jansher Khan profile on the PSA official website
- Career summary at Squashtalk.com
- Pakistan Squash - The Khan Supremacy Part VIII
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