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By Syed Naveed Abbas
From GeoSuper
Peter F Drucker laudably cries out "Leadership is not magnetic personality that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people through flattery. Leadership is lifting an institution's/person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."
No sport had given Pakistan such a consistent recognition as squash did. No sport had the charm and charisma to enliven souls at its best among Pakistanis as squash had.
Squash was Pakistan's entry and introduction to the sports world soon after Independence in 1947. Squash supremacy and Pakistan have been synonymous for the past fifty years with the common factor of the Khans.
The Pathan dominance in squash, which continues to this day, had started with Hashim Khan as its originator. He is the grand daddy of them all -- the biggest name in Squash till date. Hashim Khan returned to see a hero's welcome that took him completely by surprise. It never crossed his mind that his victory would be greeted with an elaborate reception back home.
When his plane touched down in Karachi, the Governor General and an official party were there to greet him with speech after speech. He was also presented with a gold watch which had been specially engraved. Overcome with emotion, he was only able to reply with one word -- 'Thanks'.
With a gift for the game and a prudent sports acumen, Jahangir Khan is probably the greatest squash player ever. His rise was meteoric. He is a prodigy, a superstar, a star, a genius, one of the finest sportsmen and a legend, with probably no comparison among his peers or contemporaries. A symbol of athletic perfection.
Jahangir not only dominated the sport, he redefined it. In 1979, he won the World Amateur title at the age of fifteen. Two years later, in Toronto, he became the youngest ever winner of the World Open Championship. Less than six months after that, he collected his first British Open. Still only twenty, his rule was absolute. His undefeated run stretched to an incredible five years, seven months and one day. A World Champion makes his sport look simple; typifies as that of a superhuman in sports.
Squash has a special place in every Pakistani's heart. It is not just a mere game for us here in the land of the Indus and Karakorams. Pakistan's squash legends have rallied to the rescue and with their superb performance have won the hearts and minds of Pakistanis the world over.
What are we searching and what are we waiting for. This clearly implies that a leader has a vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. What is baffling is the deteriorating condition of the most exciting sport on the map of Pakistan. The squash big wigs have ruined the immensely talented players and made squash a Stockholm syndrome since ages.
Hashim, Azam, Roshan, Mohibullah Senior, Qamar Zaman, Jahangir and Jansher, the champions of the world squash along with a host of other only slightly less distinguished players, have emblazoned Pakistan's name around the globe since 1947.
Pakistan had a tremendous time with squash and now it has become a loud case study; and how truly one says it was a glowing, well organised and most exhilarating game once upon a time. A million dollar question twinkles; are we ashamed in the gallows? The squash has become a dead and invisible game on the sporting map of Pakistan. It is a source of desperation rather inspiration.
For such a long time, after the mighty Khans, Pakistan has not produced any squash player of international calibre. How unfortunate. This is an uncanny indictment of grievous landscape of Pakistan squash today. My heart bleeds on seeing the plight of squash. No public interest and scanty media reflection of squash. It is a high time now when the legendary Air Marshal Nur Khan's vision must be revived.
In the 'Line of Fire: A Memoir', the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf states:
"Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan, and Jansher Khan are the best squash players the world has ever known, with Jahangir the best of the three. If Hollywood only knew his story of tragedy, grit and determination it would make another movie like Chariots of Fire. Many of those who know him consider him the best athlete who ever lived."
Actions speak louder than words; having full appreciation, it seems, of the sorry state of affairs the game is in Pakistan today, the President during his decade long over lordship has only found comfort in only vexing eloquent about the matter instead of sparing some action for rebuilding our name in squash.
The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) should display collective wisdom to restructure the institution on war footings; otherwise the grief stricken body of sparkling game will be buried in Pakistan all by itself. It will be a debilitating blow. The Himalayas will cry and the nation will weep over this colossal loss; perhaps the last nail to hit.
The PSF should demonstrate unstintingly prudent behaviour and shape Pakistan squash out of this ill-starred thinking zone. The insolvent PSF policies without intellectual richness have termed the institution as non existent.
In view of the above, a piece of actionable advice to the PSF and the Government of Pakistan:
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
Let's not get the voice of the nation drowned in the cacophony of vested interests and imprudent stance. We wish you best of luck for a change!
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