Family sources told Arab News on Saturday that Jansher, who
won a record eight World Open titles, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
following a series of tests.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the
central nervous system. Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali is the world’s most famous
Parkinson’s patient.
Like Muhammad Ali, Jansher, who is currently attached with
Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) as an adviser and head coach, has also been diagnosed
with this mystery illness at the age of 42.
Dr Zafar, who is supervising Jansher’s treatment, confirmed
on Saturday that the former world number one has already begun what is feared
to be a long-drawn battle with the disease.
“There is no cure of this disease but we have the sort of
treatment available today that can slow it down,” said the doctor.
It is sad news for Pakistan’s sports community for whom the Peshawar-born
Jansher is an all-time great. He is inarguably one of the most successful
players in the history of squash having eight World and six British Open titles.
Jansher shot to international fame when he won the world
junior title in Singapore back in 1986. He didn’t waste much time in becoming a
full-time professional and became the number one opponent of then invincible
Jahangir Khan.
For years, the Jahangir-Jansher rivalry made international
headlines.
Their partnership, meanwhile, earned great laurels for
Pakistan with the 1993 World Team Championship triumph in Karachi being the
last one.
Jansher beat the legendary Jahangir Khan in the semifinals
of the 1987 World Open before conquering Australia’s Chris Dittmar in the final
to win his first World Open crown. He is the only player in squash history to
have won both the senior and junior titles in the same year.
Jansher went on to win seven more World Open titles to
create a record that is still intact today. Jansher clinched his last World
Open in 1996 but was forced to stay away from the 1997 edition which was held in
Kuala Lumpur because of a pending court order in Malaysia relating to
maintenance payments for his son, Kamran Khan, following his separation from
his Malaysian wife.
Jansher, who hails from a family of world-class squash
players, stayed as the world’s No.1 squash player for almost ten years, also a record.
In all, he won a total of 99 PSA World Tour titles. A knee injury forced him to
retire in 2001.
Six years later, Jansher decided to make his international
comeback and featured in a Professional Squash Association tournament in London
in October 2007 at the age of 38.
Far from his brilliant best, Jansher lost in the opening
round of the event to England’s Scott Handley 11–9, 6–11, 6–11 0–11.
Last year, the PSF roped him in as its adviser as well as
national coach. But the move backfired after several of the leading national players,
most of them related to Jansher, refused to train under the former champion
because of family disputes.
In the recent past, Jansher has mostly been out of the
picture.
A close family member of Jansher revealed that the former
champion has been showing signs of a mystery illness since last year. “His (Jansher’s)
hands would start shaking suddenly. Sometimes he used to act strangely as he
his mind went out of control,” he said.
Following a series of tests carried out in the last few
weeks, it was confirmed that Jansher is suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s disease results from the death of
dopamine-generating cells in a region of the midbrain. The cause of cell-death
remains a mystery.
Muhammad Ali is the world’s most famous Parkinson’s patient.
He was 42 at diagnosis although he already showed signs of Parkinson’s when he was
38.
Another famous patient is Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox.
Fox was diagnosed in 1991 when he was 30, but kept his condition secret from the
public for seven years.