Any Squash (the sport) fans/players out there?

[Nimick]

I know it's sort of an obscure sport in the States. my entire family played it. my Uncle runs big money professional tournements. I just got back from one in toronto. I got Hashem Kahn to sign the final match game ball. Any other players here?

 

[Ming65]

Squash was a major sport in Australia in the seventies and early eighties - at least as popular as tennis. Even now every small country town has squash courts, but nowdays they have usually been converted to health clubs and the like.

It was one of the dozen different sports I played as a kid before concentrating on football.

I still have a hit on my own now and again - I like the rythm of hitting the ball up the sidewall and it's a surprisingly good workout.

It's obviously still popular in Pakistan and India because they seem to produce the most world champions of late.

 

[Nimick]

It's obviously still popular in Pakistan and India because they seem to produce the most world champions of late.

Actually they haven't been, but the greats did come from there.

Watching a match between a Pakistani and an Aussie is always fun. It's not so much of a match as a fight.

I also got Amr Shabana to sign the match ball.

 

[madcap_magician]

No, but I play racquetball and it's close...

 

[Ming65]

Actually they haven't been......QUOTE]

So where have the latest champs come from? The last one I remember was Jahangir Khan - that's how out of touch I am.

Played a bit of raquetball when I was in the U.S. Magician - quite a different feel. More like Tennis in the way one hits the ball, more arm and less wrist.

It's probably a bit of sports racial profiling, but sportspeople from the subcontinent (cricketers, tennis & squash players) are always described as wristy

 

[Nimick]

So where have the latest champs come from? The last one I remember was Jahangir Khan - that's how out of touch I am.

the short answer is anywhere but the US. but there havent been many Pakistanis or indians in the top 20 in the last five years. the current #1 and #2 Johnathan Power and Amr Shabana are Canadian and Egyptian. there are a lot of egyptians, aussies, and brits. a few malaysians and french in between. one guy that gave Power a run for his money at the canadian classic was a spaniard.

 

[losangeles]

Actually they haven't been......QUOTE]

So where have the latest champs come from? The last one I remember was Jahangir Khan - that's how out of touch I am.

[/I]

Wow, isn't that like a generation ago?

I played squash in my freshman year in college (US Naval Academy, Annapolis). I'd played a lot of racquetball as a kid, so I thought I'd go join the squash frosh team and make the sport switch. Not!

I actually beat an incoming prep school big-timer in practice just based on athleticism and him having a bad day. But being a newbie at it, I eventually lost too many times and eventually got cut. Oh well.