PESHAWAR: The tragic death of 14-year-old squash player Falak Sher shocked the sports circles here and left squash legends Qamar Zaman and Jansher Khan in tears.

Falak, who was the son of PAF-Hashim Khan Squash Academy head coach Gulab Sher, was suffering from blood cancer and despite continuous treatment could not recover from the illness.

Emotional scenes were witnessed as hundreds of people attended Falak’s funeral on Friday, from 8-year-old squash players to Pakistan No. 1 Farhan Mehboob besides icons Qamar and Jansher, officials from PAF Sports Board Control Committee, his relatives and people from different walks of life.

Despite suffering from blood cancer, the young and energetic Falak Sher did not miss any tournament whether it was in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar or in any another city of Pakistan. “I have a very short life but I want to do much more things to make my own identity in the world of squash,” Falak had said once.

Former world champion Qamar with whom Falak Sher played more than a dozen exhibition matches in connection with Pakistan Independence Day (August 14), Pakistan Day (March 23), Quiad-e-Azam Day (December 25), Defence Day of Pakistan (6 September), Kashmir Day (February 5) said: “Falak knew that he was suffering from blood cancer but such was his love for the game that used to say that ‘I want to live a life of a legend and that is why I have played these exhibition matches against legends like Qamar Zaman and Jansher Khan.”

“I know I will die very soon but I wish to die as a squash player,” his father Gulab quoted late Falak as saying once.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2017