View source for Hashim Khan

{{short description|Pakistani squash player}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox squash player
| name                    = Hashim Khan
| image                   = HashimKhanImage.jpg
| caption                 = 
| fullname                = 
| nickname                = 
| country                 = {{PAK}}
| residence               = [[Aurora, Colorado]], U.S.
| birth_date              = 1 July 1914
| birth_place             = [[Peshawar]], [[British India]], (now Pakistan)
| death_date              = {{Death date and given age|df=yes|2014|8|18|100}}
| death_place             = Aurora, Colorado, U.S.
| height                  = 5 ft 4 in<ref name="WP"/>
| weight                  = 
| turnedpro               = 
| retired                 = 
| plays                   = 
| coach                   = 
| racquet                 = 
| website                 = 
| event                   = 
| years_active            = 
| highest_ranking         = 
| date_of_highest_ranking = 
| current_ranking         = 
| date_of_current_ranking = 
| titles                  = 
| finals                  = 
| WorldOpenresult         = 
| medaltemplates          = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[squash (sport)|squash]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{PAK}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[British Open Squash Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1951 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1951]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1952 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1952]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1953 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1953]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1954 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1954]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1955 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1955]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1956 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1956]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1957 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1957]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1958 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1958]] | }}
| updated                 = 
}}

'''Hashim Khan''' {{post-nominals|country=PAK|list=[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz|SI]] [[Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam|TQA]]}} ({{langx|ps|{{Nastaliq|ہاشم خان}}}}; {{Circa|1910 to 1914}}&nbsp;– 18 August 2014) was a [[squash (sport)|squash]] player from [[Pakistan]].<ref name=NYT/><ref name=SquashTalk>{{cite web|title=The Khan Family, A Squash Dynasty|url=http://www.squashtalk.com/pakistan/diner_khan1.htm |date=26 November 2001|access-date=12 July 2019|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929021749/http://www.squashtalk.com/pakistan/diner_khan1.htm |archive-date=29 September 2012 |df=dmy-all|author=Rob Dinerman|website=SquashTalk website}}</ref> He won the [[British Open Squash Championships]] (the then ''de facto'' world championship) a total of seven times, from 1951 to 1956, and then again in 1958. Khan was the patriarch of the [[Khan squash family]] of Pakistan, which dominated the sport from the 1950s through the 1980s.

== Early life ==
Hashim Khan was born in Nawakille, a small village near [[Peshawar]] in modern-day [[Pakistan]], to an ethnic [[Pashtun people|Pashtun]] family, between 1910 and 1914.<ref name="WP"/><ref name=SquashTalk/> Hashim was the second cousin of the two other leading Pakistani players of his time [[Roshan Khan]] and [[Nasrullah Khan (squash player)|Nasrullah Khan]], whose sons [[Rehmat Khan]], [[Torsam Khan]] and [[Jahangir Khan]] are also squash players.<ref name="WP">{{cite news |title=Hashim Khan, seven-time world squash champion, dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/hashim-khan-seven-time-world-squash-champion-dies/2014/08/19/40548ca0-27c2-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html |author=Adam Bernstein|date=19 August 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=12 July 2019}}</ref> Hashim Khan's  exact birthdate is unknown. According to his family members, he turned 100 on 1 July 2014 (the family celebrated his birthday on 1 July).<ref name="DAWN">{{cite news |title=Squash great Hashim Khan in poor health |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1122664/pakistans-squash-great-hashim-khan-in-poor-health |date=2 August 2014 |work=Dawn (newspaper) |access-date=12 July 2019}}</ref> Khan's father, Abdullah Khan was chief steward at a British officers' club in Peshawar. He brought Hashim when he was 8 to the squash courts which were used by military men to relax, when not performing duties. Khan's father died in a car accident when he was 11,<ref name=NYT/> and he left school to become a [[ball boy]], fetching balls for the squash players.<ref name="DAWN" /> and cleaner of the squash courts. "For sweeping the place, they paid me four [[Indian anna|annas]] a day," Khan told the ''[[New York Times]]'' in 1957. "One anna is a sixteenth part of a rupee. Two hundred and eighty rupees equal one American dollar as of March, 2025.<ref name="WP"/><ref name=NYT/>

== Career ==
Hashim Khan's father, Abdullah Khan, was the Head Steward at a club in Peshawar where British army officers stationed in the area played squash.<ref name="FP"/> As a youngster, Khan served as an unpaid [[ball boy]] at the club, retrieving balls that were hit out of court by the officers.<ref name=NYT/> When the officers had finished playing, Khan and the other ball boys would take over the courts.<ref name=NYT/><ref name="FP"/> In 1942, Khan became a squash coach at a British Air Force officers' mess. In 1944, he won the first All-of-India squash championship in [[Bombay]], and successfully defended this title for the next two years.<ref name="WP"/><ref name=NYT/><ref name=SquashTalk/> After the [[independence of Pakistan]] in 1947, he was appointed a squash professional at the [[Pakistan Air Force]], and won the first Pakistani squash championship in 1949.<ref name=SquashTalk/><ref name="FP"/>

In 1950, [[Abdul Bari (squash player)|Abdul Bari]], a distant cousin of Khan's who had chosen to remain in Bombay after the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, and who Hashim had beaten in several tournaments in India before partition, was sponsored by the Indian Government to play at the British Open where he finished runner-up to the Egyptian player [[Mahmoud Karim]]. This spurred Khan to seek backing to compete in the British Open the following year.<ref name="FP" /> In 1951, when Khan was in his 30s, the [[government of Pakistan]] – particularly the [[Pakistan Air Force]] – sponsored him for the British Squash Championship. It was the first time Hashim Khan wore shoes on the squash court.<ref name="WP"/> Khan travelled to the [[United Kingdom]] to play in the British Open, and won the title beating Mahmoud Karim in the final 9–5, 9–0, 9–0.<ref name="WP"/><ref name=SquashTalk/> He again beat Karim in the final in 1952 9–5, 9–7, 9–0. He won the tournament for the next four consecutive years, beating R.B.R. Wilson of England in the 1953 final; his younger brother [[Azam Khan (squash player)|Azam Khan]] in two tight five-set finals in 1954 and 1955; and [[Roshan Khan]] in the final of 1956. Hashim Khan was runner-up to Roshan Khan in 1957, and won his seventh and final British Open title in 1958, when he beat Azam Khan in the final.<ref name=SquashTalk/> Hashim Khan also won five British Professional Championship titles, three [[United States Open (squash)|US Open]] titles, and three Canadian Open titles.<ref name=NYT/><ref name="FP">{{cite news |title=Air chief expresses grief on death of Hashim Khan |url=http://thefrontierpost.com/article/191914// |date=20 August 2014 |work=The Frontier Post |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=Tribune/>

Hashim Khan relocated to the USA in the 1960s, after being invited to teach squash at the Uptown Athletic Club in Detroit.<ref name="DAWN"/> Eventually Khan settled in [[Denver, Colorado]], but continued to appear in veterans' matches at the British Open. The [[Denver Athletic Club]] continues to hold a Hashim Khan squash tournament in his honour every year.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=A Legend, at 93, Still Chases the Game |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/sports/othersports/30squash.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=12 July 2019|work=The New York Times |date=30 December 2007}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Hashim Khan had a total of 12 children. His eldest son [[Sharif Khan]] became a player on the North American [[hardball squash]] circuit in the 1970s, winning a record 12 [[United States Open (squash)|North American Open]] titles.<ref name="WP"/> Six other sons&nbsp;– [[Aziz Khan (squash player)|Aziz]], Gulmast, Liaqat Ali ("Charlie"), Salim ("Sam"), Shaukat, and Mo&nbsp;– also became hardball squash players.<ref name=NYT/>

His granddaughter [[Maria Khan]] plays professional soccer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Sports |last2=pkadmin |date=2023-01-21 |title=Who is Maria Khan, Pakistani footballer who scored a stunner against Saudi Arabia? |url=https://www.thepakistanobserver.com/who-is-maria-khan-pakistani-footballer-who-scored-a-stunner-against-saudi-arabia/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=The Pakistan Observer Digital |language=en-US}}</ref>

== British Open final appearances ==
{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | '''Wins (7)'''
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
| '''Year'''
| '''Opponent in final'''
| '''Score in final'''
|-
| [[1951 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1951]] || [[Mahmoud Karim]] || 9–5, 9–0, 9–0
|-
| [[1952 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1952]] || [[Mahmoud Karim]] || 9–5, 9–7, 9–0
|-
| [[1953 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1953]] ||  R.B.R. Wilson || 9–2, 8–10, 9–1, 9–0
|-
| [[1954 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1954]] || [[Azam Khan (squash player)|Azam Khan]] || 6–9, 9–6, 9–6, 7–9, 9–5
|-
| [[1955 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1955]] || [[Azam Khan (squash player)|Azam Khan]] || 9–7, 7–9, 9–7, 5–9, 9–7
|-
| [[1956 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1956]] || [[Roshan Khan]] || 9–4, 9–2, 5–9, 9–5
|-
| [[1958 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1958]] || [[Azam Khan (squash player)|Azam Khan]] || 9–7, 6–9, 9–6, 9–7
|- bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | '''Runners-up (1)'''
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
| '''Year'''
| '''Opponent in final'''
| '''Score in final'''
|-
| [[1957 Men's British Open Squash Championship|1957]] || [[Roshan Khan]] || 6–9, 9–5, 9–2, 9–1
|}

==Awards and recognition==
*[[Pride of Performance]] Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] in 1958<ref name=PSB>[http://www.sports.gov.pk/Detail/MzY3YTEzNzMtZWE5YS00MzdhLTlmMDUtNzg0NzExNmI5ZmUy Hashim Khan's award info on Pakistan Sports Board website] Retrieved 21 July 2020</ref>
*[[Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam]] by the [[Government of Pakistan]] in 1959<ref name=PSB/>
*[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] (Star of Excellence) Award by the Government of Pakistan in 2008<ref>[http://squashmagazine.ussquash.com/2008/09/hashim-khan-receives-highest-pakistani-honor/ Hashim Khan Receives Highest Pakistani Honor] Squash (magazine), Published September 2008, Retrieved 13 July 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.dawn.com/news/261311 137 Pakistanis, 17 foreigners get civil awards] Dawn (newspaper), Published 15 August 2007, Retrieved 13 July 2019</ref>

== Death and legacy==
On 18 August 2014, Khan died in his home in [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]], Colorado due to congestive heart failure. He was widely believed to be 100 years old.<ref name="WP"/><ref name=Tribune/>

Hashim Khan was known for his sportsmanship spirit. Showing respect for other players, he always allowed his opponents to leave the court first.<ref name="DAWN"/>

===Condolences and tributes===
The [[World Squash Federation]] President [[Narayana Ramachandran]] paid a tribute to Hashim Khan, "After a wonderfully long and active life we are now left with memories of a great champion, a great man who has made a wonderful contribution to squash. Hashim's passing has taken somebody so special from us. As we remember him we send our condolences and best wishes to his family at this very sad time," he said.<ref name=TNI>{{cite news |title=World squash pays tribute to Hashim Khan |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/520624-world-squash-pays-tribute-to-hashim-khan|date=20 August 2014 |work=The News International (newspaper)|access-date=13 July 2019}}</ref>

[[Pakistan Squash Federation]] President Air Chief Marshal [[Tahir Rafique Butt]] expressed grief over his death and remembered him for his achievements.<ref name="FP22">{{cite news|date=20 August 2014|title=Air chief expresses grief on death of Hashim Khan|work=The Frontier Post|url=http://thefrontierpost.com/article/191914//|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref>

Other Pakistani players like [[Jahangir Khan]], [[Qamar Zaman]] and officials like the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] [[Nawaz Sharif]] and [[Pakistani President]] also offered condolences and commended Hashim Khan.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news |title=Pakistan mourns legend Hashim Khan |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/750772/pakistan-mourns-legend-hashim-khan/ |date=19 August 2014 |work=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|access-date=12 July 2019}}</ref> "Within the game, he was an iconic player, arguably the greatest player ever," said [[James Zug]], a leading historian of Squash. In Pakistan, Hashim Khan was a hero and a symbol of national pride.<ref name="WP" /> In 2020, Google celebrated him with a [[Google Doodle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://doodles.google/doodle/celebrating-hashim-khan/|title=Celebrating Hashim Khan|website=Google|date=4 April 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
* Khan, Hashim, ''Squash racquets: the Khan game'', Wayne State University Press, 1967.
* Khan, Hashim, ''Keep eye on ball, is most important one thing I tell you'', New York : Simon & Schuster, 1996. {{ISBN|0-684-81324-6}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1553679/ Keep Eye on Ball: The Hashim Khan Story on IMDb website]
* [https://www.scribd.com/document/352809808/Pensketch-of-Hashim-Khan-by-Daud-Kakar-July-2017 Pen sketch of Hashim Khan by Daud Kakar]
* {{Squash Info}}

{{British Open squash men's singles champions}}
{{Pride of Performance for Sports}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Hashim}}
[[Category:1910s births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Pashtun squash players]]
[[Category:Pakistani men centenarians]]
[[Category:Pakistani emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Pakistani male squash players]]
[[Category:Racket sportspeople from Peshawar]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Khan family (squash)]]
[[Category:20th-century Pakistani sportsmen]]