How Qamar Zaman revived Pakistan squash glory in 1975

Fifty years ago, on a cold February evening at the Wembley Squash Center in London, Qamar Zaman carved his name in squash’s history books when he won the 1975 British Open.

It was for the first time in 12 years that a Pakistani player was able to get his hands on the coveted trophy, a fact that was duly celebrated back home especially after Qamar returned with the silverware.

“Winning the British Open was by far the biggest achievement of my career. And the welcome I received at home on my return from England is easily among my most cherished memories,” Qamar told me on Friday.

The Quetta-born Qamar, who will turn 73 next month, was hosted by then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and became a national hero overnight.

So, what was so important about his victory? After all, six other Pakistani squash legends have won a total of 30 British Open titles between them from 1951 to 1997. Jahangir Khan won a record ten titles, Hashim Khan claimed seven while Jansher Khan won six.

Qamar Zaman (center) with fellow Pakistani players

The 1975 crown was Qamar’s only British Open triumph but it was perhaps the most important title for Pakistan since Hashim’s maiden victory in 1951 that planted the seed of Pakistan’s dominance in the squash world.

Between 1951 and 1963, Pakistan won 13 straight British Open titles through Hashim Khan, Azam Khan, Roshan Khan and Mohibullah Sr.

The barren run

But from 1964 to 1974, Pakistanis were unable to win the title as Egyptian, Irish and Australian players shared the glory.

For 12 long years, Pakistanis tried and failed in their bid to win the crown. From Mohibullah Sr to Aftab Jawaid, Gogi Alauddin and Mohibullah Khan Jr, several Pakistani players came agonizingly close to regaining the title.

It was finally a magician from Peshawar, who ended the barren run. Qamar, the man, who added color to the international circuit with his dazzling array of shots, swam against the tide to win the 1975 crown, beating compatriot Gogi Alauddin in the final at the Wembley Squash Centre in London.

“What a tournament it was for me,” remembers Qamar.

“Before the final, nobody, especially Hunt, took me seriously and it wasn’t their fault as I was seeded eighth. But I won. I believe it was the greatest honor that I’ve earned for my country,” he adds.

“In 1975, I was in a great form,” says Qamar.

“But I was seeded eighth. Hunt was the top seed and favorite to win the title. Rex Bellamy, who was an eminent squash reporter, asked Hunt if he failed to win the title, which other player had the ability to claim the crown.

“Hunt named Jonah Barrington, Cam Nancarrow, Gogi Alauddin, Hiddy Jahan and Ken Hiscoe. Bellamy asked him ‘what about Qamar’? Hunt’s reply was ‘he is just a stroke player, we can handle him’.

“I faced Hunt in the quarter-finals and defeated him. I was suffering from a terrible toothache. Couldn’t eat anything solid and was just surviving on soups. But I still managed to beat him in a match that last two hours and 17 minutes.

“Hunt refused to speak to the reporters after the defeat, saying he was too exhausted.

“Later when I had beaten Hunt, people thought that now Hiddy would go on to win the title. But I beat him as well.

“Strangely, before the final everybody predicted that Gogi Alauddin would easily beat me and win the title. But once again I proved them wrong. Really confident, I hit 36 winners in the final and just three tins. It took me just 65 minutes for me to beat Gogi, who was one of the best players in the world at that time. It was seen as a big upset.”

The British Open triumph gave Qamar’s status a big boost. He became a star on the world circuit with his unorthodox style, cool temperament and witty behavior on the court.

Top of the world

Qamar was ranked number one in the world in 1975, 1978 and 1980. He was world number 2 for 11 years.

“I won a lot of tournaments after winning the British Open. Hunt was my biggest rival and I defeated him in the finals of many international tournaments. However, I could never beat him in the British Open (after 1975),” recalls Qamar.

Qamar had hoped that following Hunt’s retirement, he would be able to dominate international squash. But he was to face an even bigger challenge.

Qamar Zaman (right) with his friend and rival Hiddy Jahan

“After Hunt retired, I faced a new Hunt called Jahangir Khan as my main rival. I played and lost against him in a lot of finals during the last six years of my career.”

It’s in the blood

Qamar inherited squash as a family game.

“My great grandfather Aurang Khan was a prominent player. Then came Zain Khan, who was an all India champion. My uncle Aftab Jawaid was a world amateur champion. My father was a professional in Quetta while I was the world number one player for three years. My sons were world class players. Squash runs in our blood. It has been our profession for five generations,” says Qamar.

Initially, Qamar was more interested in tennis but it was on the insistence of Aftab Jawaid that he switched to squash.

A gifted player oozing with natural talent, Qamar didn’t take squash much seriously as a youngster.

Just a few weeks after switching from tennis to squash, Qamar featured in a national level event in Peshawar.

“When I was around 16 I played in my squash tournament in Peshawar in which I lost to Torsam Khan in the first round. But despite my loss, everybody who was present there appreciated my performance and that praise really encouraged me to start taking squash seriously.”

Qamar started working hard on his game and was rewarded in 1969 when he won the National Junior Championship in Lahore. He returned to Peshawar with a job in Pakistan Railways, knowing fully well that squash was now his profession.

Qamar started working harder.

“It was really hard labor,” he recalls. “I used to practice for hours at a stretch. I played so much I tore more squash balls than I could afford. So, I used to ask my mother to stitch them.”

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise both for him and for the game of squash. It was because of those torn balls that Qamar developed his signature drop shot, that the world of squash had never seen before.

“Since I had to play with torn squash balls, I could not hit them very hard. So gradually I developed a slow game which I mastered in those years by playing a lot of drop shots.”

In 1972, Qamar became the national champion beating Hidayat Jahan in the final. PIA hired him after the victory. That same year, he made his debut in the British Amateur Championship and reached the final as an unseeded player. He also played in a series of smaller contests, winning them all.

He was making his presence felt and soon landed a contract with Dunlop.

“When I came back to Pakistan I had 30 rackets given to me by Dunlop. Four hours I used to put them in front of me just watching them. It was a great sight. Before my trip to England I owned an old wooden racket but now I had 30 and that, too, of the best quality. For the first time in my life I had proper gear and even had money in my pockets.”

Soon, Qamar became a regular on the international circuit, reaching the British Open semi-finals in 1973 and ‘74.

Finally, in 1975 came the crowning glory.

“I was blessed. I had great support from my father. And I also worked really, really hard.”

The swansong

Qamar finally retired in 1989 and chose the Pakistan Open as his swansong. He requested the organizers to field him against Jahangir Khan.

“I wanted to play my last match against the world’s best player. I lost, obviously, but lost to a better player. I retired in a graceful manner and was given a memorable farewell.”

After retiring Qamar made a career with PIA and also devoted him time in the administration and development of the game. He was later elected as a Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation.

“I’ve seen the glory days of squash. Those were certainly the golden days of the game. I was friends with everyone from Hunt to Hiscoe and from Gogi to Hiddy. I was also friends with Jahangir and Jansher Khan. I have so many cherished memories with all of them.

“I am really thankful to God Almighty that he gave me a full life. I’m also thankful to PIA and the Pakistan Air Force who played great roles in the shaping of my squash career.”

Today, Qamar is at the helm of most squash activities in Peshawar and other cities in the north-western KP province.

He has great expectations from the young talent which includes his own grand son Noor Zaman, an Asian Games silver medalist, who rose to a career-best No.68 in world rankings.

“There are many Pakistani boys like Noor Zaman, who have the potential to become champions. But they need to work hard.”