Chris Walker, India’s new squash coach and former world no. 4, is sitting bare. A couple of rigorously organized squash balls save the blushes. It was for a photoshoot within the ’80s. An ingenious thought from a photographer pal to draw potential clothes sponsors; he was UK’s No. 1 participant then, and with out an attire contract. So why not strip? “It worked, I got one immediately!”
Walker is sitting on the bathroom pot. The Queen of England is ready for him within the squash court docket to inaugurate the event. When he finally saunters out, a panicking sentry yells, “I have found him!” And asks him to hurry alongside. “The Queen waits while Walker sat on the throne,” ran a headline within the Evening Standard the subsequent day. Walker laughs on the reminiscence.
He is attempting his greatest to work across the pandemic hurdles to teach the Indians — “I have high hopes and confidence that we can do something special” — however that is sooner or later. It’s his previous that fascinates us for now. An extended profession that allowed him an in depth peek on the greatness of the squash sultans from Pakistan: Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan in the long run 80’s and early 90’s, and his gruelling battle in opposition to David Palmer within the 2001 British Open closing which he misplaced after main 2-0 that he nonetheless revisits every now and then. But earlier than we go to Birmingham 2001 for some masochism, it is best to journey to Karachi 1993 for some awe.
The best squash participant ever, Pakistan’s Jahangir Khan awaited him on the earth cup semi-final. “Jahangir would break down the opponents — mentally and physically. All-out attack, relentless, you can feel him breathing down your neck. Nothing remained of you by the end of a match against him. You might just have won a few points in games but he would have so brutally left you gasping for breath. It was sensational,” Walker gushes.
At his pomp, over an astonishing five-and-half years, Khan by no means misplaced a match, successful a ridiculous 555 matches in a row. A miracle that individuals gathered across the glass partitions in courts around the globe to catch a glimpse. Around this time, Channel 4, a tv community from the UK, despatched their man to Khyber Pass in Pakistan together with Khan to retrace his story. A scene stands out. Men sit hunched round, rifles slanted on their shoulders. Uncles, neighbours, buddies of Khan’s older family. What do they make of Khan? ,Achaa hai, ab jawaan hai. Aage jaake acha khiladi banega! (Good, he’s younger, will turn out to be higher sooner or later!),” says one. The documentary host convulses right into a gobsmacked-laughter, a delicate grin stretches out from Khan’s lips. No surprise, he racked up 555 triumphs; they do not get simply swayed within the mountains.
But in ’93, the reporting grapevine these days was that Khansaab had come out of retirement to play within the event. “I am playing 60% for the crowds here,” Khan would say forward of the sport. Walker had performed him just a few occasions earlier than, misplaced all, however was sooner; at 26, three years youthful than Khan; and thought it may be his nice probability, but. Plus, the Karachi court docket was a “dead” one, and “it suited me, I thought”. Khan was up and away in a flurry although Walker would win one recreation and it was 1-2.
“The court was dead and I thought now my better fitness would prove to be the difference.” But the balls went a bit limp, delicate, after 45 minutes of Khan pummeling them, life slowly ebbing away from them. “Now, there wasn’t much bounce. That threw me off. But Jahangir went all out with his shots. I don’t know how he did, but he did. It was hard to get the ball back at times. He played so many shots.” It was over in a blink, Walker run ragged, but his pride was intact. “I once read a book by my squash hero Jonah Barrington, ‘Murder in the Squash Court – The Only Way to Win’, on my way to a tournament and carried away by the sheer bloodymindedness described in the book, I won that tournament. Jonah is of course right. It’s a bloody gruelling sport, you do get murdered. Khan did me in, all right!”
The most bruising loss although, the one which he nonetheless revisits in his life once in a while with a wince, is the 2001 loss within the British Open closing in opposition to David Palmer. He was main 2 video games to like, however would run out of fuel to lose the subsequent three. “I still think about it. British Open was my childhood dream; it was the trophy I so wanted.” Still, it was a miraculous run that 12 months. Unsure about his future, he had taken time away from the game, selecting to journey around the globe for six months.
“The love for the game was back at the end of the trip and I began training. I had to go through the qualifying rounds also that year to make it to the main draw. I had a couple of draining five-sets in the tournament and I guess I was finished physically by the final.” It was fairly seen within the match. For the primary two video games, he was throughout Palmer, mixing his drop photographs, volleys, pace-and-cross-court-angle adjustments however as soon as the fatigue set in and Palmer began to run him down, the match started to slide away.
Considering that he was evaluating his profession only a 12 months earlier than the event, it was an astonishing accomplishment. “Still, I was leading 2-0…” There is a pause within the WhatsApp name and it is not because of the web buffering. The query blurts out, “Are you still haunted by it?” Walker refutes however admits it does rankle him. “But I did play and beat Palmer in a match subsequent 12 months. So, that was a pleasant feeling, I had had my revenge. And I do know I used to be adequate to win that British Open if not for the physique.” Murder on the squash court docket, however recollections stay on.
“The humorous factor is that instantly after the loss, one of many first individuals I spoke to after I stepped off the court docket was Jahangir Khan, who had retired in fact however was there. And what does he inform me? ‘Chris! Why did not you play extra photographs?! Ha ha ha! Thank you Jahangir, it is best to have shouted that at me in the course of the match. Why did not I play extra photographs, certainly?! Crazy occasions. Loved these years.”
Squash isnt simple on the physique. Forget taking part in it, even watching it makes one win. Crouching our bodies contorting in obtuse angles; blinding turns; arms, legs, and heads yanked in all instructions in claustrophobic glassed partitions — “What’s not to love?!” Walker laughs at that commentary. Walker has had each his hips changed a few years in the past. Jansher Khan had a number of again surgical procedures final 12 months. Jahangir Khan’s brother’s coronary heart stopped on the court docket, mid-game. “It is indeed a physically grueling sport – and yet such artistry, skill is involved.” That it’s.
Jahangir Khan’s elder brother died on the court docket, the center stopped. Jansher Khan, one other nice squash participant from Pakistan who led 19-18 in private battles with Jahangir, had a number of again surgical procedures final 12 months. Walker himself has had each his hips changed a few years in the past. “You have to be supremely fit.” Like Jahangir, however what else set aside the champion from Pakistan that allowed him to win the British Open 10 occasions between 1982-93 and be a six-time world champion?
“Jahangir was at all times relentless with energy and talent to hit the ball so crisply. And he would get on the ball so early — actually breaking you down and leaving you with nowhere to cover. You will crumble by the top of a recreation in opposition to him. That’s what he did time and time once more and other people could not cope with it. No surprise, it took five-and-half years for anybody to beat him.”
Jahangir’s profession can be eternally hyphenated with Jansher Khan, within the minds of followers of a sure classic, and Walker breaks down how Jansher beat Jahangir.
“So sooner or later got here Jansher attempting to determine how one can bell the cat and make a reputation for himself. He does not have the bodily presence of Jahangir, so he wasn’t going to win the tempo and energy recreation. So he has to determine how the hell to tire out this man, how one can make him susceptible sufficient to get some factors and win a match.
“Jansher’s philosophy was that ‘I am going to keep Jahangir on the court for an hour and half to get him at least tired enough to play a game of squash against him! Until then, he is going to absorb the pressure for an hour, get incredibly efficient for an hour and a half before he can start applying his skills. Which he obviously had as he is a great player; he has shots, strategies but none of that is going to work for the first hour and half against Jahangir!” Walker chuckles. “So you got two totally different players. He had to develop this strategy purely to outplay Jahangir. The rest of the players can beat normally and beat at their own game.”
Time to get into the new seat. Jahangir or Jansher? “I have to say Jahangir by a tiny margin because he was unbeatable for five-and-half years – that’s unf******believable! Jansher had total belief in himself in how he was going to beat Jahangir and you had to be mentally tough for him to start doing that. At his pomp, Jahangir’s game was something else. You didn’t go into games against Jansher with an apprehension that he is going to break you down. Jahangir could and did regularly.”
Such was Jahangir’s popularity that professionals would e-book flight tickets after they discovered they had been slotted to play him within the third spherical. “They would e-book their flights for the subsequent day. Ridiculous, actually. I’d at all times e-book on the finish of the event. If I lose, hold on, watch and be taught. What message are you giving your personal thoughts in case you settle for loss like that?”
Jahangir may need requested questions of his opponents that that they had no reply however the query that completely stumped Walker got here from the Queen. That day when he made her wait. “Well, not fully true. She was late and it was then that I hastened to the bathroom! Once I greet her – and I used to be suggested to not shake her hand however simply bow, she has a take a look at the glass court docket behind me, and goes, ‘Have you performed in one in all these earlier than?!’ I say, ‘truly yeah, we use these transportable glass courts everywhere in the world.’ And she goes, “Oh good! So you’ve got had some apply. Good luck!”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
