Jahangir: World Championship Too Close to Call by Nathan Clarke November 13, 2014
- Squash legend Jahangir Khan, the Pakistani star who dominated the
sport during the 1980s and claimed the coveted World Championship title
on six occasions, believes the 2014 World Championship which gets
underway in Doha, Qatar tomorrow will be one of the most hotly
contested in recent years.
Khan, who won five consecutive titles from 1981-1985 before adding his
sixth in 1988, knows exactly what it takes to come out on top in the
most competitive tournament on tour and thinks this year's event will
be a battle of wills.
"There are five players who are all in with a serious chance of winning it and it is very close between them all," said Khan.
"I think it all depends on how they start and who's got the most
motivation - If they can all get off to a good start and gather some
momentum, it will be the player who deals with the pressure best and
who is most hungry who will go all the way.
"When we get to the quarter-final stage it will become very interesting
and I will be watching closely to see how it pans out because the
players wait all year for this moment and there's nothing better than
winning the World Championship title."
23-year-old Egyptian Mohamed Elshorbagy goes into the tournament as
hot-favourite, having claimed the last two PSA World Series titles, but
with Englishman Nick Matthew aiming to defend his crown, Frenchman
Gregory Gaultier determined to end his four-final losing streak and
Ramy Ashour and Amr Shabana hoping to upset the odds, Khan predicts a
fascinating battle to come.
"This is the most prestigious title, along with the British Open, that
is available in the sport and the one that all the players want," said
the 50-year-old who went on a 555-match unbeaten streak over five and a
half years from April 81 until Nov 86.
"Elshorbagy is a fantastic young talent and he has made great progress
over the past six months. He's beaten all the top guys and will be full
of confidence and I think he is very hungry.
"But the World Championship is a very different experience to any other
event on tour - winning it once can change your life and is a dream
that every player looks up to. For me winning the World title in 1981,
against Geoff Hunt, was a very special moment in my career.
"This year I think Ramy Ashour will be a very dangerous player - he's an incredible talent with lots of experience.
"He's had a lot of injury problems and for him it's all about his body.
It's a bit unknown for him and there will be a lot of pressure on him
from himself after such a long lay-off but if his body can handle it,
then he is a major threat.
"The other players have all been around for a long time and have a lot
of experience as well so it promises to be a fascinating week."
The 2014 Qatar PSA World Championship takes place at the Khalifa Tennis
and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar from Friday November 14 - Friday
November 21 with the action to be shown live on
SquashTV:www.psasquashtv.com
