September 03, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 2, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 2: Squash legend Jahangir Khan has attributed the downfall of the game to the non-professional handling of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) officials.

“I’m sorry to say that there’s no Pakistani among the top 20 players of the world after myself and Jansher hung their rackets,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The legendary player lamented that most of the men in uniform who became senior vice-presidents or secretary of the PSF, unfortunately, lacked wisdom and instead of taking advice from stalwarts of yore, indulged in politics.

“The nation is aware of my family’s contribution to the game in the country’s 61-year history,” said the 10-time former British Open champion while referring to remarks of AVM Asim Suleman in the press on Tuesday.

Correcting the facts, he said he was the president of World Squash Federation (WSF) for the last six years and not eight and has immensely helped in holding coaching, refereeing conferences apart from World Team Squash Championship for men in the country when the foreign players refused to travel to Pakistan due to security fears.The six-time former world champion said that as the head of WSF which has some 150 affiliated countries, his responsibilities were far bigger and not just confined to Pakistan. “The PSF has never consulted me in chalking out short and long term goals,” he clarified.