LAHORE: Jahangir Khan believes Pakistan will never regain its glory in squash until the principle of ‘the right man for the right job’ is implemented in the administration of the sport which was ruled by the country at the international arena for decades.
The legend said that the primary reason behind Pakistan’s significant fall in squash over the years was the lack of professional management.
“The main reason behind Pakistan’s decline in squash is that professional people are not running its affairs. [In contrast] in many other parts of the world, professionals are managing the sport and harvesting good results,” Jahangir said while talking exclusively to Dawn during a ceremony at the Nishtar Sports Complex in Lahore on Saturday.
At the ceremony, three newly-constructed squash courts were handed over by the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) to Pakistan Squash Academies.
“Pakistan maintained a 30-year domination in international squash, a unique achievement that no other country could match. But what we did with our sport is unfortunate,” the 62-year-old Jahangir regretted.
Jahangir, the icon who led Pakistan’s great reign in global squash competitions, won six World Open and 10 British Open titles from 1982 to 1991 in an incomparably illustrious career that ended with his retirement in 1993.
Speaking on the occasion, Jahangir said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which has been involved in running squash, could play the role of patron-in-chief, but emphasised “all technical affairs should be handled by professionals”.
On whether lack of incentives for players was another reason for squash’s decline, Jahangir said: “Where are the established squash players who should be honoured?”
Commenting on the newly constructed squash courts, which took almost 34 years to complete, Jahangir said it had been his dream to play at the complex.
“It was my dream to play in this complex. During my playing days, there was no suitable court in Lahore. When work on these courts started in 1992, I wished to play here in front of the people of Lahore but it could not happen during my playing career. I thank God that the facility has finally been completed, and I was also able to play a few shots here today to inaugurate one of the courts,” the star, who won a world record 555 consecutive matches in international squash from 1981 to 1986, stated.
Jahangir, who served as the president of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, praised the standard of the complex, describing it as a state-of-the-art facility, and hoped that it would provide youngsters with ample opportunities to develop their skills.
Earlier, in his address, Jahangir appreciated the Punjab government and the Punjab Sports Department for developing the modern squash facility in the provincial capital.
“The Punjab Sports Department has built a beautiful squash complex. This modern facility is no less than a gift for Lahore and its young squash players,” he said.
He thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Secretary Sports Punjab and their teams for developing the facility, adding that there were a very few squash courts of such quality anywhere in the world.
There was no shortcut to success and that players had to work hard to achieve excellence, Jahangir stressed.
“Success does not come through shortcuts. We used to practise for eight hours every day,” he recalled, adding that Pakistan had no shortage of talented players.
Meanwhile, Sports Board Punjab director general Tariq Qureshi briefed the gathering about the facilities provided at the squash complex.
In this regard, he said, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with Pakistan Squash Academies.
Asked why Lahore could not get a state-of-the-art gymnasium for volleyball, forcing the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) to shift its Asian Volleyball Championship from Lahore to Islamabad, Tariq said that two volleyball gymnasiums were being constructed in Sargodha and Faisalabad, as the SBP could not develop all sports facilities in Lahore.
When asked whether international sports organisations would allocate events to Pakistan only after considering Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi as suitable venues, Tariq said the point had been well taken and would be considered in the future.
Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2026