Age enigma as Pakistani legend Khan in poor health
Print Edition
HASHIM Khan’s family really has no idea how old their father is since he never had a birth certificate.
Best guess? He turned 100 on July 1 — that’s what they celebrated anyway. He also could be older, some say even as old as 104.
Just another intriguing layer to the lore of Khan, one of the greatest squash players ever.
He’s the patriarch who got the ball rolling on Pakistan’s squash supremacy, winning his first British Open title in 1951 at an age when most retire, and then six more championships after that. He later traveled to the United States to raise a family of 12 and help hook a younger generation on the sport.
Over the last six months, his health has drastically deteriorated. Hospice workers are providing around-the-clock care for him at his home in Aurora, Colorado. His family remains by his side, reminiscing about his squash heyday.
The tales they tell: Like how he started out playing squash barefoot. Or how he once went through a player’s legs to get to a ball near the front wall.
Or how they heard Buckingham Palace built a squash court just to watch their father’s flair.
“Just a rumor,” said Gulmast, one of Khan’s seven sons, who all played on the professional level.
“I like the concept that his age is shrouded somewhat in mystery,” his son, Sam, said. “He’s a whirlwind who comes out of the distant Himalayan mountains and conquers the world.”
The past few years have been difficult for Khan, who lost his daughter in 2007 and then his wife of 65 years, both to diabetes.
Up until recently, he could usually be found at the Denver Athletic Club. Not playing, of course, he gave the game up at 93, but watching from the stands and offering tips.
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