PSA50 – Rivalries: The Tale of The Two Khans

By RJ Mitchell

In terms of a rivalry, is there any with more at stake than one which positions two different generations of countrymen against each other?

The elder an unparalleled dominant force revered as the game’s greatest exponent by his peers and predecessors alike while almost worshipped by those who share his nationality. Further a sporting icon still at the top of his game who had transcended the bounds of his discipline to occupy a place in the conscientiousness of mainstream sporting life.

The younger a compatriot, but no relation, who represented the new generation in a moody, slightly rebellious fashion, yet whose silky movement and ability to absorb everything that was thrown at him seemed to allow him to stifle and douse the crackling flames of his great nemesis’ all conquering game.

Such was the rivalry that saw Jahangir Khan face Jansher Khan in a battle of the Pakistani generations that it held all of the squash world in its thrall, as well as many admiring observers from other sporting pursuits around the globe in the late 1980s and remorselessly on into the early 1990s.

For many the fact that Jahangir, statistically holds the record of 16 major titles, six World Championships and a record 10 British Opens, while also racking up a mind-boggling 555 successive competitive victories, places him in an undisputed position as squash’s greatest of all time.

Yet Jansher also has his distinct claims for pre-eminence having claimed a record eight World Championships and gone on to be the longest reigning World No.1, spanning almost 10 years while he also edged their 37-match head-to-head with 19 successes.

Using five pivotal matches that spanned their head-to-head we will let these great champions share their intertwining story in their words.

The Beginning:

In 1987 a teenage Jansher entered the stage following in the footsteps of his already immortal compatriot – scenting blood!

“At that time (1987) Jahangir was the very best, he was top and he was beating everyone in the world and doing so easily,” said Jansher.

“But our rivalry was what drove me on, it made me train harder, made me fight longer and made me determined to keep improving my game because that is what I had to do to beat Jahangir.

“Of course the fact that I also had to beat him to get to No.1 and then that he came back at me to stop me taking his position made me a better player – it had to.”

Indeed after Jansher’s emergence at the end of 1986 Jahangir initially won their first few encounters in late 1986 and early 1987.

British Open Final 1987: W: Jahangir 9-6, 9-0, 9-5.

Yet in April 1987 the final of the British Open provided their first major moment and Jahangir was determined to underline his dominance as he recalled: “Jansher was mentally and physically strong and not an easy player to beat and always tough and of course he followed me through and he wanted to be champion and rule the world just like I had and that made him very determined.

“Jansher’s game plan was to play at a slower pace and rely more on a stamina strategy while I kept my level and tempo high. But the key was to break the guy mentally and at the same time not make mistakes or unforced errors and make sure my shot selection was perfect.

“So I remember in ’87 Jansher was a qualifier and he beat all the top guys including Ross Norman in the quarter-finals and Chris Dittmar in the semi-finals.

“Before the British I knew he was improving all the time but I built my whole season on preparing for the British Open.

“I was just more focussed; my preparations always went up a level and I knew I could get him, I felt I was just too strong but although the score may have looked one-sided there were long rallies and they were tough and we both had to really work hard to win any points.”

But by the end of the year Jansher had finally scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987 with a straight games victory in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open.

World Open Semi-Final 1987: W: Jansher 3-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-7:

Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters, including capturing the 1987 World Open title after he had beaten Jahangir in the semi-final.

Recalling the shifting of the sands Jansher said: “Beating Jahangir for the first time in Hong Kong it was surprising for me. He was super fit and to beat him for me was a dream.

“Jahangir had the name, the reputation but I was not scared of playing him and I just beat him on fitness.

“He had good control and was fit but I could break him and after I beat him in Hong Kong I did it again back home at the Pakistan Open.

“What was very satisfying was that Jahangir was 2-0 up and 8-6 match ball and I turned it around and in the fifth game he just stopped. Jahangir was so tired he could no longer hit the ball.

“Also to beat him in the semis of the World Open meant so much on my way to my first World title.

“At the start when I beat him the people back home they just could not accept that Jahangir had been beaten and by another Pakistani who was just a skinny kid!”

World Open Final 1988: W: Jahangir: 9-6, 9-2, 9-2:

With Jansher absent from the 1988 British Open field, Jahangir continued his dominance of the blue ribbon event, before the next titanic instalment of their rivalry came in the 1988 World Open final and it was clear that the scales had tipped back towards Jahangir once again.

“In the ‘88 World Open I felt I was stronger in every department. I was physically very strong and mentally also,” said Jahangir.

“The British Open was in April and the World Open in May so I was always well prepared and I beat Rodney [Martin] in the British final and a month later we were in Holland for the World Open.

“I was beating the other top guys like Dittmar and Chris Robinson and doing it for fewer points than previously so I was very much ready for that one.

“So when it came to Jansher I knew I could get him. The big difference between us was that, again, I felt I was the stronger.”

On the other side of the court Jansher was aware that Jahangir’s motivation was palpable and he admitted: “At that time I was still young, I did not have the experience that Jahangir did and it was very difficult for me to beat him every time because of that and of course he was also very fit and by this time extremely motivated to beat me.

“I had taken what was his and he wanted it back and in that World Open final he wanted it real bad!”

1991 British Open Final: W: Jahangir: 2-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-0:

Amazingly it was to be another three years before the duo squared off in their next major final which came at the Wembley Conference Centre when Jahangir, returning from an injury and illness sabbatical, was to claim his 10^th and final British Open title in a four set success.

Looking back he recalled: “In ’90 I took three or four months off and came back to the circuit in January or February and I knew that my condition was okay but that by the time I reached the British Open I would be well prepared.

“I lost to Jansher before the British but I was just building up my momentum towards it and training as well specifically for the British and I had other losses in the quarters and semis in build-up tournaments, but I was not worried about losing the other tournaments only that I was progressing.

“My aim was solely to play at my best in the British Open and to win it, and that started from the German Masters, Scottish Open and stuff like that.

“A lot of people were saying: ‘Jansher is playing at a different level and he may take it this year’. I knew that and it motivated me.

“In the ’91 final we had a very tough first game physically and mentally but I had beaten Jansher before at the French Open and I had been two games down and I knew I could beat him when it got really tough.

“To come through with that win was very satisfying as of course it was my 10^th British title.  Ultimately, for me looking back, my best level and best level of fitness was ’91.”

For Jansher this defeat was offset by the fact that he knew his own game was evolving while on the other side of the court for Jahangir time was ticking and he shared: “Between 1987 and 1993 my game did change as I had so much experience from all these games, hard games, with Jahangir, [Chris] Robertson and [Chris] Dittmar and that made a big difference and it meant I knew what to do and when to do it and also what they liked and what they didn’t!

“The ’91 British well Jahangir was going for 10 titles and I knew it would be very hard to beat him and, although that was the case, I learned more again from that match and knew it would only make me better.”

With Jahangir taking a year off in 1992 the writing on the wall was clear that the rivalry of the Khans was coming to an end.

The End of the Rivalry: World Open Final Karachi 1993: W: Jansher (14-15, 15-9, 15-5, 15-5)

With the World Open scheduled for Pakistan’s capital of Karachi in 1993, Jahangir was persuaded to come out of semi-retirement to answer the pleas of both his nation’s government and the clamour of his countrymen.

Reflecting on all of this Jahangir said: “I knew that ’93 would be my last and just felt I had to come back for it.

“It was also so I could help the Pakistan team to win the World Team Championship as well, so I made up my mind to give it one final go.”

The only problem was that Jansher was now at his peak.

It was the ultimate passing of the racket moment and Jansher relished it: “Before I just relied on fitness but by ’93 my game had also developed and I did attack more with the drop, so I was a lot more comfortable going to the front and particularly with my backhand drop attacking the front left court.

“By then I also had a pretty decent volley drop and that allowed me to win some cheap points and break his rhythm.

“So I put the work into Jahangir and when I felt he had soaked up enough I started to attack him.”

For his part Jahangir remains impressively sanguine about the end of his era: “So of course I lost to Jansher in the final but we won the World Team Championship and that almost meant more.

“I played well for the tournament and on the way to the final I beat Ross Norman, Brett Martin and then Chris Walker in the semis, who were from a new generation.

“I just wanted to help Pakistan and also the people of Pakistan wanted to see me play for the last time, so I did it for my people.

“I knew that I could still play at the top level but inside of me I knew I had done enough and I was really satisfied with my career.”

For Jansher this was a moment of supreme satisfaction, but also a realisation that his greatest rival had left the court for the final time and that perhaps things would never be the same.

Considering this he said: “This one was so important to me as after Karachi, Jahangir was going to retire, so people thought I was the favourite and there was an awful lot of pressure on me because of this extra expectancy.

“So a lot of people wanted Jahangir to go out on top with the win but then I was the new champion, and I guess we both had our supporters.

“I came after Jahangir and many, many people felt I would never beat him but I proved them wrong and that was my great motivation.

“Jahangir was such a great champion and to have the better of our matches is something that I am very happy about, it meant so much to me.”

For Jahangir the respect is mutual: “I enjoyed our rivalry, Jansher was a good fighter, a clean player and a great champion and I enjoyed the challenge he gave me.”