Squash legend Azam Khan dies at 95 in London

Four-time British Open champion was also showing symptoms of the coronavirus

Azam Khan, one of the country’s squash legends and four-time British Open champion, passed away on Saturday in London due to prolonged illness. He died at the age of 95.

Sources said, the squash legend was also showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

Azam, the younger brother of Hashim Khan, earned a good name for the country by winning four consecutive British Open titles from 1959-1962.

The squash family has expressed deep sorrow over Khan’s demise and prayed for the departed soul. Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza also expressed grief on the demise of the former squash player.

In 2008, Azam along with his brother Hashim and Australian player Geoff Hunt were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Squash Awards in Manchester for their exceptional feats in the sporting arena.

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has listed Azam Khan as one of the all-time greats in squash history.

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"Azam Khan was an influential member of the ‘Khan Dynasty’ that dominated the sport throughout four different decades, lifting four British Open titles to pick up where his older brother Hashim, left off,” according to a blog title ‘G.O.A.T: the contenders 1960-1979 – part five’ on the PSA website.

A tennis coach at the Pakistan Air Force officers’ club, Azam was introduced to squash by Hashim at the age of 26, shortly after the older sibling had won his second British open crown.

His level of ability increased so much that he took on Hashim in the final of 1954 British Open final, which went all the way to five games before Hashim finally ground out the win in the decider.

A win over Hashim in the semi-finals of the 1960 tournament helped propel Azam to a second successive British Open crown, beating second cousin Roshan Khan – the father of the great Jahangir – in the decider in just 19 minutes and dropping just a single point in the process.

Two more British Open titles would follow in as many years, while he also added a US trophy to his collection. However, an achilles tendon injury in 1962 and the tragic death of his 14-year-old son saw Azam retire from competition squash.

Aside from an appearance at the National Championships and the Pakistan Open the following year – both of which he won, beating Roshan Khan in the final – Azam settled in the United Kingdom and took over the running of the New Grampians Squash Club in London.