KARACHI, 16 April 2005 — Almost eight years after winning the last of his six British Open titles, Pakistani squash legend Jansher Khan could crown himself as a champion again in the prestigious event this fall in London.
However, unlike the previous years when he mostly ended up as the biggest star of the British Open show, Jansher will have to contend with playing on the sidelines of the Open event as he is planning to feature in the Over-35 competition of the prestigious tournament.
“I am itching to make a comeback in international squash,” Jansher told Arab News here on Thursday.
“Squash runs in my blood and there is no way I can remain away from it any longer,” said the record eight-time World Open champion.
The 2005 British Open will be staged at London’s prestigious Royal Horticultural Halls, in Westminster, from October 7 to 15.
Jansher last won the British Open title in 1997 in Cardiff. He took part in the tournament the next year and in spite of playing with bandages on both knees, surprised the international squash community by reaching the final in Birmingham. However, Jansher’s problematic knees finally got the better of him as he lost in the title clash against Britain’s Peter Nicol.
That was Jansher’s last appearance in the British Open as injury problems ended his international career and wiped away all his hopes of winning the coveted title more than ten times, a feat he wanted to achieve to break old rival and compatriot Jahangir Khan’s record of ten crowns.
