Reflections from the Squash Community
courtesy Ferez Nallaseth August 25, 2014
Gordon Anderson It was very sad news
to hear about Hashim. Over the years, I had many opportunities of
seeing him and even playing with him in an exhibition or two. I grew up
competing against his sons, namely Sharif, Aziz, Gulmast & Charlie
in many cities such as Salt Lake City, Portland, Seattle, Mexico,
Atlantic City, New York, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Toronto. My most
memorable time with Hashim is when I played in the Hashim Khan
Invitational in 1976 in Karachi ! ……..but I’ll always remember how
Hashim was treated like a huge celebrity and national hero in his own
country.
Adrian Davies Hashim was the inspiration to all the Pakistani players who dominated after him.
I MC,d the Gala Dinner
in Manchester Town Hall at the World Champs a few years back, which
Peter Nicol and Tim Garner orgainised superbly well.
Hashim , Jahangir,
Hunt, and a few other world Champs all came onto stage. The respect for
him from the other Greats was unbelievable...which really says it all
!!! I did tell him I had booked a court for the morning ( he was 94
then ) ....he replied , with the mic in hand...." I am still too fast
for you " ......brilliant.
Rest in peace Hashim
Penny Glover Just to add to Jay
Morgan's note. It was probably after attending the KW Racquet Club new
court opening, that Hashim Khan came with Barney Lawrence to Ottawa to
visit his friend who was the Pakistan ambassador to Canada. Of course,
he sought to participate in some activity to promote squash while he
was here and we happened to have the city squash championships finals
night at that time. He came to the Rideau Tennis & Squash Club and
played an exhibition match with Barney and then offered to play some
local people. He played a game with the new city champion, Ahmed
Allouba a former junior Egyptian champion. We were in the process of
switching to international squash by then, although the courts with
still North American size, and he offered to play Ahmed with a hard or
a soft ball, and, if I remember correctly, ended up doing both.
Afterwards he invited anyone else to play and I had one game with him.
I felt like I was the yo-yo at the end of the string being sent to
every corner of the court! But what a pleasure it was when he
occasionally said 'good shot' as I managed to play a couple of more or
less winners. He and Barney socialized with us afterwards and it was a
memorable evening.
Penny Glover Thanks for your
acknowledgement, Ferez. I'm thinking of his family, especially Sharif,
Gulmast and Aziz. Sharif used to come regularly to a fabulous summer
teams tournament we used to have at the Rideau and he is in the general
Toronto area still I believe. He was inducted a number of years ago
into the Ontario Squash Hall of Fame. Gulmast spent a number of years
here as squash pro in the 70s at the then brand new Ottawa Athletic
Club. Aziz was, of course, around the Ontario squash scene for many
years. They are all great representatives in the tradition of their
father.
PeterHart That is sad news.
Hashim would have made it into his nineties though. I met him in his
early eighties and had a privileged fifteen or so minutes alone with
him at one of the TOCs in NY. For some reason no one else seemed to be
sitting with him, so I had a nice conversation with him. I only recall
his comment about one of the Khans ending his career because of a bad
Pakistani knee surgeon. That was a sad note too.
Anyway, I had a nice interlude with him. he was very friendly and a huge credit to the game (and its health benefits)………….. Charles Heckscher What a great man ... Mike Hestera Thanks Ferez, it means a lot to the DAC family that you would remember our dear friend Hashim!!
Sol Hoch The Sporting World has lost an immense Squash Player and Gentleman! Not sure of the date
as I am getting to that age but watched Hashim play in the British Open
as a boy (we are talking about Black and White TV) and afterwards the
BBC commentator asked how come at the age of 50 (ish) you still want to
play: I believe he replied "because it is a physical game of chess". An inspiration and awesome figure; may he rest in peace!
Timothy Houseal
Thanks for posting that, Ferez Squash is a oft forgotten sport. I last
played squash in the mid '70's in Ann Arbor. I wasn't very good, but I
enjoy reading about sports heroes. 1h ago Andy Hubbard: I am proud to say that I met the great man once, at DAC around 20 years ago. Andy Sebastian Jayaraj (PhD Student, Strategy, Rutgers Business School) Thanks for sharing Ferez. What an outstanding life!
David P Morgan Hashim has been a good
friend of mine for many years (50!) and there will never be anyone
quite like him. We used to sit and chat - and argue a little - about
the modern game, ranging through the different eras of shot making,
fitness, shot making and fitness etc. he was always worth listening to.
One of our favourite times was in Calgary back in the '80s, when all
the Hashim squash playing family played my special "Khan Tribute
Tournament" and we all sat round in the evening having a beer - but
pretending it was cola! Hashim knew of course and just pretended not
to! He will be sorely missed and Lorna and I send our thoughts to all
the family: "We are sorry for your loss". DPM
Asif Khan The one thing I
remember about my Grand Father was his sense of Humour. I remember he
taught me Squash with Jokes. I asked him how to do court running what
he taught me looked like a joke to me then but now, teaching squash to
Junior Squash champions in UAE it's so easy for them to understand. His
exact words " Nose Direction " always run " Ears Direction " always Hop
"....that was it..... being his Grand son makes me proud even more than
him being a champion, he was a Legend On and Off the court. I didn't
get to spend much time with him as he was living in US but when ever we
used to meet he would hit me on the head and say " wana play with a
world champion who wil make you run like a donkey ". I don't miss him,
I Re'live him every time I step on court.
David P Morgan My
great friend PeterDay - UK > Toronto > Calgary > Vancouver
Island - told me the story of when Hashim was challenged to a match and
came on court with a hairbrush and proceeded to sort out a number of
players. Love to hear more about that night! DPM
Jay Morgan I
had the pleasure of Meeting the Great Hashim Khan when he played the
equally Great Barney Lawrence at the opening of the KW Racquet Club's
new hardball court in the early 70's. I was also fortunate to know and
watch play many of the Khan family including Mo, Aziz, and Sharif.
Saddened to hear of Hashim's passing.
Ferez Nallaseth I probably first heard
of Hashim Khan from his friend and on-court contemporary from Nawakile
(who also adopted Abdul Bari’s son Fazal when his father passed), my
Coach/Mentor Umar Khan, while he was (gutting) stringing racquets. He
spoke of the journey of the Khans from the North West Frontier to
Bombay (Mumbai) for the Western India Championships at the Cricket Club
of India in Bombay. And proudly showed me reports of his matches with
and tough losses to Hashim in the Western India (and other)
Championships published in the Times of India! I made similar
journeys all over India to play in tournaments but much less
successfully than Hashim – won 0 tournaments! I had also read Hashim’s
‘Squash the Khan Game’ …… I was in awe! Long before meeting Hashim. I met Sharif (along
with Clive Caldwell and his wife) in 1977 or 1978 at John Simon’s Home
and Courts in Spartanburg, South Carolina and again from 1980 - 1983
along with Aziz, Charlie and Gulmast at Hardball tournaments around the
country. I was living in small University towns in the South of the US
with no competition and so no game left, consumed by a scientific
problem and in very difficult circumstances. One way out was to travel
to Squash tournaments as e.g the Inwood Open in Dallas in 1982 on the
invitation of a former Junior National Champion from India, Mo Bajaj.
In one Inwood Open, I played against Gulmast Khan in the semi finals.
Hashim was sitting in the stands and was perfectly at ease while
Gulmast surged ahead 2 – 0, a little less so when I took the 3rd
game and much less so when it was tied up 2-2. In the fifth Gulmast was
up 17 – 13 but I took it 18-17! Hashim had been Coaching
Gulmast intensely all along the way, yet there was nothing but
graciousness and generosity when the result was in! Although I lost to
Hussein Meguid of Egypt 0 – 3 in the Final, there were 2 reasons why
this day and what followed will remain with me as the one thing that is
as important as any in my life! Firstly, Hashim sat me down and said in
Urdu ‘you amazed me’, – as someone from the pinnacle of Squash, he need
not have done so and yet he was generous! Secondly, I always struggled
with balancing ‘outlook’ in matches or for that matter in exams. If I
could hold it together with Hashim in the stands, it was the final
proof for ‘Mind over Biology’! We had a short conversation, but later
that year I met Hashim again in the Louisville Invitational, in
Louisville KY. This time I had the
privilege of his Coaching advice at a critical time in a match! I was
playing in the Hardball final against a Swedish Softball Player. In an
attempt to ‘avoid beating myself’, and because of an over-cautious (all
rails) game against someone who was in much better shape than I was, on
my way to loosing – and Hashim, my opponent and I all knew it! At 12-12
in the 5th game Hashim’s taut voice rang out from the gallery in Urdu –
‘don’t play his game’. A quick double boast and a reverse corner, which
Softball Players generally do not see coming, and I was home!
Hashim knew that I had tensed and just needed a gentle reminder! I knew
I had just had the privilege of a Master’s advice! We had a several
hours long conversation on things large and small – Umar, politics, the
subcontinent, village life in Nawakile, food, family, Squash,
pre-partition days, economics and on...and this was the greater
privilege! I will miss him as
much as I miss many of my teachers and friends because in his straight
and simple and yet wise way, he represented all that is the best in us!
Anil Nayar
Hashim gave to those
around him and in turn received plenty back. He was a fine ambassador
from our part of the world to the West. Here is a Hashim story that shows his intense strength and modesty, so typical of him. Hashim and I were
sitting together in the stands watching an epic hardball match between
Mo Khan and Sharif. Not many words were exchanged, but sometime in the
third game I asked Hashim if he was quick as Mo. Hashim looked around,
ascertained no one else was in earshot and whispered in my ear, “ very
fast, twice as fast.” I believed him. N Pandole Although I do
not have any stories of my own I do remember the anecdotes my father
shared with me when he was the Secretary of the CCI Squash Dept. I am
sorry I don’t have the dates but here goes. Hashim first
visited the CCI during pre- Independent India and if I remember
correctly it was to participate in a major event. Perhaps the Western
India or the Nationals. As my father recounts everybody at that time
were most impressed with his abilities, but the general opinion was
that he did not have a hope of winning let alone reaching the Finals.
To every body’s great surprise not only did he win the Tournament but
in the bargain also beat the great Abdul Bari who was the CCI Squash
Professional at that time. As the story goes every time these two
played it was a game of the calibre of which the spectators had never
seen .Every time it would be a five setter and Hashim would squeeze
through. It was an epic battle of a magnificent stroke player (Bari)
versus a determined and super fit Hashim with Hashim prevailing because
of his doggedness in chasing down every ball that Bari could produce. I
believe they played a couple of times and Bari acknowledged his master. As my father said
after he won a couple of Tournaments he expressed a desire to go to UK
to play the British Open. Not having the funds to afford his visit a
collection was made by the CCI members and he made his first visit to
UK to the Landsowne Club and that is when he started creating his
historical career. Finally , my father said that Hashim’s passport
application was signed by him as a sponsor. Hunt Richardson I
had the privilege of taking a private lesson from him when I was a
precocious 17 year old and my brother and I lived and worked in Denver
one summer. After 30 minutes of drills Hashim announced, "Now we play
five point for world championship." For over 15 mins Hashim made
me twist around the entire court like a rabid squirrel, hitting half
his shots behind his back, between his legs, over his head facing
backwards, and in combinations of same. There were three nicks from
him, two errors from me. Several times Hashim bounced off the
side walls like a bowling pin and bowed in mock respect as I sprinted
past him to pick up his shots - which were always barely within reach.
Done with a zippy hardball at altitude...my brother was in
stitches with laughter watching this 5'4" old man toy with his
skinny 6'3" younger brother. After we finished, Hashim ground the ball
hard into my eye socket and said "You must keep eye on ball!"
Unforgettable. God bless him and his people
Andrew Shelley Years back, when I
used to run the British Open I would get a phone call every year from
Hashim. It summed up the humility of the man. ‘Would it be okay if I
come over and take part in the Vintage event’ he would ask. Okay? This
was the man who had won the British Open title seven times. Okay? No, a
huge honour, I would tell him. Never before, and I am
sure in the future, would matches in the Over 65’s be scheduled on the
show court at Lambs Club. Even when he was in his late seventies and
there was only one match for him each year, people just wanted to see
the great man. For great man is what he was. One year he insisted
that he and I had a game. Me, only ranked three in my own home! A huge
honour for me, and just what seemed normal for such a lovely man. Years later at the
Men’s World Teams in Pakistan in 2005, and then at the World Open in
Manchester we reminisced on this and much else – and it was, as ever,
so enlivening to be in his presence. A wonderful person, a
long life and somebody to look up to in every way. His light has been
extinguished, but a bulb gone out for the world too. John Simar Thanks Ferez. What a legend! What a generation! I really appreciate learning about great people like this.
