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BREF from Islamabad FINALS Day
Everything you didn't know you needed
to know about the Pakistan Open ... |
Tournament Main
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BIG MISTAKE
 Here
I was, in the Complex at 1pm, for a 4pm start, as I had been warned
about the security issues.
So, I arrived early, took the strict minimum, no mobile, no money,
nothing. Just my laptop, and my camera. Installed the laptop, and,
as they were screening the place, I decided to take some pictures
outside...
Big mistake...
They would let me back in. Well, me yes, as I was on the list. But
not my camera, because "Madam, you are listed as a journalist, not a
photographer"...
Well, I know some people from the Bitch Room, sorry, the Press Room,
who would say I'm neither, but it took about 15 minutes and the
intervention of the Tournament Referee, the Tournament Director to
allow my little digital camera to pass through security.
And I just saw James Willstrop... It took them 10 minutes to let him
through... But euh... without James, no show... No, still 10
minutes...
Like I told you, Security here is the Word...
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YASIR BUTT
 Yesterday,
I told you about the 14 boys and girls from Pakistan who will
start the year in Sheffield, lucky them…
Well, one of them, Yasir Butt,
a slim young man with a very soft smile, is all praise for his
coach, Rahmat Khan. The junior, who has already started to
play with the Big Boys, zoomed up the ranking, from 134 to 74 in a
very short period.
“I’ve never met anybody who knows how
to motivate players like he does”, said a very enthusiastic Yasir
during a training session last night. “I’m very lucky to be
working with him and in this beautiful place”.
When I asked him why he wanted to
become a squash player, he said “When I was young, I saw videos of
Jahangir and Jansher, and I just wanted to be like them, squash
Champion…”
Like all his team mates, he trains a
minimum of 7 hours per day. Long distance runner, he enjoys
particularly the fitness part of the training, and likes running
marathons, I was told he can run 2 hours without blinking…
And when I asked him what was his
ambition?
“To be the number one player in the
world”.
With Rahmat Khan at his side, why am
I not surprised…
Achievements:
Scottish Junior Open winner U15,
British Open finalist U15, British Open Champion U17, Asian
Open finalist. Member
of the Asian Junior Team Champions, World Junior finalist 2004,
Member of World Junior Team champions 2004.
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PURE WATER…
In Pakistan, nobody drinks anything other than pure water. So,
having a sponsor that distributes delicious and pure water in a
squash tournament makes a lot of sense….
We were lucky enough to have Askari Pharmaceuticals (yes,
they are the ones purifying and distributing Askari Water) to
sponsor the Pakistan Open. Every day, we have received bottles and
bottles of fresh water. Compulsory over here, believe me…
And yes, Qaiser Farooq Sulehria, Area Sales Manager for
Islamabad, and Syed Khalid Abid, National Sales & Marketing
Manager were here today, as they support squash…
Glad to see the Sponsors actually WATCHING the show…
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PRAYER DAY
Linda did warn me about the Friday being the Big Prayer Day in
Pakistan. But I have to say I didn't expect to be awakened at
something like 5am by the Chanting from the Prayer man...
And everywhere I go in the complex today, if you need something, the
answer is "He'll be back later, he is praying"....
The traffic to come here was much heavier than any other day, people
are wearing "Sunday Clothes", there are kids everywhere...
It's such a beautiful day in Islamabad...
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 IN
ROME...
As I expect of people who come into my country to behave according
to my culture, I have tried to behave (I said I TRIED, not I
SUCCEEDED...) according to the Pakistani culture.
And that is why, today, I dressed in a long dress, with black
leggins, socks, so people can't see any part of my flesh, adding a
long jacket, and a Pakistani Long Scarf offered to me by one of the
guys here (and no, you will not know who he is...).
As far as I was concerned, I was blending in nicely.
But I was welcomed by "Oh, is that the French style" and "Dressed to
kill I see" when I arrived at the complex...
Blast, missed again... |
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BRITISH JUNIOR OPEN
Where will you be on the 1st of January? Curing a hangover? Cuddling
your loved one? Trying to figure out why on earth you are wearing
that ridiculous pair of striped trousers, and where the heck is your
car???
Well, like a lot of parents, young boys and girls, coaches,
referees, organisers of all nationalities, I will be in Sheffield,
for the British Junior Open. And so will be these very keen
youngsters (yes, two young ladies as well), along with Rahmat
Khan, who doesn’t need any introduction…
Ayaz Khan, the assistant coach, who has been working closely
with Rahmat for nearly four years now, is extremely enthusiastic
about his “boys”, as he calls them…
 “For
a few years now, those young players have here a fantastic
opportunity. They get free racquets, free shoes, free food, free
accommodation, and free coaching with probably one of the best
coaches in the world, Rahmat Khan. We are trying to open up squash
to all the youngsters of Pakistan, not just the “Families Members”,
because Pakistan holds a great potential, and we need to take
advantage of it.”
“We are trying to coach those kids to be true champions, on and off
court, and champions do not take double bounces, do not lie, do not
cheat. They win because they work hard, because they train.”
Passionate about squash in Pakistan?
I think so…
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 FRIENDSHIP
ON TOUR
Only when you follow the guys on the circuit can you realise how
close they are, how strong is their friendship…
And today, Nick Matthew was playing James Willstrop.
Last evening, they were eating together, then had a game of chess.
Today, they were playing against each other. And right after, about
15 minutes later, they were back sitting next to me, side by side,
watching Jonathon Power against Anthony Ricketts….
Zoom in and look
to the left ...
Well, to tell you
the truth, I find that amazing, that friends have got to play
against each other, and still remain close mates…
I know, maybe you find that normal, but I do find that remarkable….
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THE PRINCE WAS THERE...
The Prince of Squash, Jansher Khan, six times winner of the British
Open, eight times World Champion, one of the greatest Champions of
all Times, honoured us of his presence today.
He was accompanied by his manager, Farrukh, and a multitude of
admirors who couldn't have enough of him....
No wonder...
A visit from Jansher is always an honour.... |
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À QUELQUE CHOSE MALHEUR EST BON…
Which means, when you have something bad happen to you, there is
always something good coming out of it…
So yes, David Palmer lost yesterday to Canadian Jonathon
Power, but it allowed him to relax and have… a game of golf…
He had a good round with Australian Team mate Dan Jenson, who
is waiting here to go to India for the
World
Doubles
Championship…
So you see, at least, losing has got its advantages… |
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 HIGH
SECURITY
If you have been avoiding coming to the Pakistan Squash Events in
Islamabad for security reasons, well, think again. I’ve never seen
so many policemen in my life. From the word go I have been picked up
from the Airport, to the door of the Marriott Hotel, to the complex,
we have police protection everywhere we go…
 Armed
guard in the bus, police car in front of the bus, car with machine
gun in front of the Complex, bag search at all entrances of the
hotel and the complex…
Do I feel secure? Blimey! I can’t go to the loo without an armed
guard protecting me….
But tell me guys, how on earth am I going to meet ANYBODY if you
keep protecting me like that???
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 MEETING
WITH THE
BIG BOYS
I have been meeting so many people,
guys, it’s difficult to keep count.
But today, I met two of the Very Important People of the Squash in
Pakistan:
The Air Marshall Raashid Kalim and the General
Secretary of the PSF, Zulfiqar Ahmad.
The Air Marshall hadn’t read my
reports, but I was told he asked for the address of the site, and Mr
Ahmad said that my articles had been very well received…
So far so
good…
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IT MAN…
When you think of Pakistan, you probably do not think about
internet, technology, IT, and so on… Well, in the Complex we are
working from, we have a broadband connection and not only that, we
have an IT specialist, Obaid Sikandar Khan, who sorts out our
laptop compatibility.
And as the set up at the hotel is different from the set up at the
complex, I have to re-enter all the codes all the time… So I did
apologize to him, as he had to show me once again how to make my
laptop work…
His answer: “Madam, it’s my duty”.
I tell you, I feel like I'm on another planet…
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 MY
GUIDE & SAVIOUR…
Today, I wanted to visit the whole complex… Well, it’s so vast I
actually didn’t have the time to see the swimming pool or the
hostel, but I saw some great buildings, like the football ground,
the gymnasium, the Hockey ground, tennis ground, racing ground
(photos below)…
 And
I saw what they call “the old squash complex”, which is about 50
yards from the new one. I tell you, it’s something else… The glass
court is absolutely amazing, and for once, the referees have the
best place, just in front of the court… And the viewing is just
amazing.
 Where
else in the world will you find two glass courts in the same place??
Not surprising that the Men's World Team Championships will
happen here next year… And I tell you something, if they’ll have me,
I’ll be back…
Anyway, to visit all those great places, I had my personal guide and
protection, the adorable Sjjad Ahmed, who became my saviour
as well… Well, I was giving an interview (yes, for once…) and I was
late, and the bus was waiting for me, and I rushed… And forgot my
file with all the score sheets of the day…
Catastrophe…
Well, not really. A phone call to Sijjad, and pronto, the
file was at the reception desk…
I love Pakistan…
 
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MY
GUARDIAN ANGEL…
You know, when you are in a foreign
country, in a different civilisation, you do feel a bit lost.
Well, I was sent a guardian angel, under the name of Imran Khan.
He is a referee on the tournament, but he also (and that’s his
main duty, as far as I’m concerned…) looks after me all day long,
makes sure I’m having my tea, that I am being fed, answers all my
queries, etc…
Well I tell you, girls, men like that
are difficult to find nowadays, and I wouldn’t mind bringing him
back in my luggage…. |
TALL TEAM
The first thing you can’t help
noticing about Cameron Pilley is his height.
“I think I’ve stopped growing now”, he smiled, “but we will just
have to wait and see”.
Why on earth am I talking about
Cameron’s height, you may wonder. Well, the
World Doubles Championship is
about to start in India, and the Squash Australia has teamed
Cameron with Dan Jenson, another very tall player. I called
their team “the Tall Team”.
Their other team will be David
Palmer and Anthony Ricketts… Look out, world, here they
come… |
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ELECTRICITY CUT
During the French derby, full of
upsets, we had a 3 minute power cut. To Rahmat Khan who was
watching the match, Renan Lavigne said jokingly: “What’s
going on? Didn’t you pay the bill?”
To which Rahmat replied: “No, we will pay it with the prize
money.”
To which I added: “Prize money? What prize money? There is money
in squash, now, and nobody told me?”…
As you see, bad atmosphere around the
court…. Tension, so much tension…. |
CHEERS MATE…
You are always betrayed by your own,
don’t you find?
Well, yesterday, here I was, saying
nothing (yes, it DOES happen), waiting for the bus to go to the
Complex with the boys, and Joe Kneipp was saying something
quite funny (yes, that does happen as well…), to which Renan
replied “Save your breath, man, there is no woman around to
seduce…”
Cheers, Renan, what am I, a freight
train????
I tell you, sometimes, I feel old,
old, old… |
PLANE
BUDDY
You know me, you say hello,
and I tell you my life story…
Well, 8 hours of flight is a long
time to be silent. So, I started chatting with the passenger
next to me, Ajmal Malik, who works for a Swiss
Development Agency, CHIP.
Well, it happens that the man used
to play a lot of squash, and also a bit of hockey. Well, a bit,
he was only selected twice in the Pakistani Hockey Team in the
1968 and 1972 Olympic Games…
“The first time, we had the “Black
Power”, and then, in 72, the attack on the Jewish Team. Twice it
was quite an eventful competition…”
When I told him that everything was
probably his fault, he smiled “I know, that’s why I stopped”…
Don’t you love flying???
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RAHMAT KHAN : A LEGEND…
 Yes.
I’m afraid I’m old enough to have lived in the Jahangir Era. As a
young woman, I had two heros, Bjorn Borg and Jahangir Khan.
Both superstars (OK, maybe with a slight income difference…), both
amazing players, controlled, hard workers, and way way above anybody
else in their field.
So, I was really humbled today to meet the man who was at Jahangir’s
side for so many years. I don’t know how he did it, but he hasn’t
aged a bit. If anything, he looks younger. Or would it be I feel
older???
He was kind enough to have lunch with me, and talked to me about his
family, his career, Jahangir stories…
I was all ears, trust me, sleep or no sleep…
TOULOUSE 86
“The day Jahangir lost in Toulouse, my wife was about to have our
son Tarik. So, I said to him that, if the baby would come early, I
would join him there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so. My sister in law,
who lives in Monte-Carlo, suddenly gave me a ring, to tell me that
she heard on the French radio that Jahangir was losing! I couldn’t
believe it… Then, she called me again to tell me that he lost. And
even if it had to happen one day, it was a sad day…”
 DEAN
WILLIAMS
“One day, in Paris, Jahangir was quite ill, and needed antibiotics.
But, as we were in the middle of a tournament, he couldn’t take any
medicine except for homeopathic. So, he would be ok for a few hours,
and then the fever would come back. But he still managed to get to
the final against Dean Williams.
Burning with fever, Jahangir was not at his best. So I told him “you
should be able to play for 30 minutes. After that, your body is
going to shut down. Try and win as quickly as possible”.
So Jahangir changed his game, and
instead of playing his normal long distance runner kind of game, he
attacked everything on sight, shortening the rallies and the games.
He won so quickly, in less than 25 minutes. A stunned Dean Williams
turned round to him and asked him very loudly:
“What's the hurry, mate????”…
6 MINUTE RALLY
When Jahangir started losing against Jansher, he was not a happy
man. But he was also losing because he started to train less. So,
for the Worlds one year, in Holland if my memory is correct, he
started training very hard again for two months. He was again very
strong.
The first rally of the final against Jansher lasted 6 minutes.
Jansher, incapable of recovering from the rally, ended up losing the
match rather easily and quickly…
PAIN BARRIER…
“Today, Pakistan doesn’t have great champions like in the past,
because the younger generation has it a bit too easy… They don’t
mind training a bit, but they don’t like passing the “pain barrier”
that much… If you want to be a champion, physical training is the
key…
THE FUTURE
I have now 2 sons, one is in England, Tarik, but doesn’t like
squash. He plays football at a very good level. But my youngest son,
6 years old, absolutely adores squash, he loves training with the
junior squad, and he is a natural with a racquet…
So, now we know that the future of
squash in Pakistan is assured.... Look out, world, another Khan is
on his way....
Framboise |
ONG IN THREE…
 A
young referee, Yawar Islam, caused a little sensation on
Saturday, as in a training match with Ong Beng Hee, he beat
the Malaysian number one in three games…
It was all for fun, of course, but nevertheless, history has been
made, and memories are made of these… |
DIFFICULT TO GET MOTIVATED…
It must be difficult sometimes for the players to get going. Here we
were, at 12.00 sharp, for the first match between James Willstrop
and Alex Gough. Look how many people were watching the first
game, which was actually of an outstanding level of squash.
In the third, people started to fill the seats, and in the fourth,
it was an ok audience. But it made me think about the difference
when you play at Wimbledon on the central, or on one of the side
courts…
But that’s the problem of the first round, isn’t it… Too many
matches for only the main glass court…
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BEAUTIFUL MEAL…
Along with the players, the referees, the officials of all the
organisations who make Pakistani Squash, the Sponsors of the event
and the Air Chief Marshall Kaleem Sadaat, I was invited to a
sumptuous dinner. The list of guests would be endless.
Very short speeches from the Air Chief Marshall and the Pakistan
Squash Federation representative, who thanked all the people and
sponsors that have me this great tournament a reality, and tokens of
appreciation were awarded to a few people, among them, Jansher
Khan, who like the Speaker said, doesn’t need an introduction,
Fahim Gul, Tournament Referee, who has done a fantastic job,
and Mark Chaloner, in his position of PSA President.
But I had a strange feeling all evening, and I didn’t know why.
Until Joe Kneipp came up to me and asked me how it felt to be the
only woman in the room. And that’s when I realised I was actually
surrounded by men, men, and only men…
I do love Pakistan…!!!!!
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WHAT
A WELCOME…
Yes, I had a bit of a fright this morning, as when I arrived, nobody
was there at the airport with my name on a board …
 But
I soon saw a “Marriot Hotel” sign, and zoom, I was taken care
of by a cheeky “I’m the man” kind of young man, as helpful and
charming as they come, Jehanzeb.
From that moment on, I have been spoiled. The room at the hotel is
beautiful, I have a broadband internet connection, that was sorted
out by an extremely efficient IT engineer, I never have to wait more
than 5 minutes to get transportation, I have been introduced to
everybody who is anybody, met fellow journalists, photographers,
Pakistani Federation, Referees… I can’t remember all their names,
but their faces are now known to me.
 The
welcome I’ve received is absolutely astonishing, but I must say that
I did have a magic word: Linda… Linda Davie, one of the
SquashSite trio, has been helping a lot of Pakistanis players to
settle in the UK, so, basically, like me, they are very grateful to
Linda. And as I am a friend of hers, I’m to be looked after…
And you know what?
I’m enjoying every minute of it…
Thank you everybody…
Shahid Zaman, S.M.Fazal and Jamshed Gul |
IMPRESSED BY
THE REFEREEING…
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Sajjad Ahmad (my guide)
and Ayaz Khan |
OK. Let’s face
it right now. Pakistan used to have a not too good reputation when
it came to its refereeing system. Well, if I can judge by what I saw
today, Fahim Gul, Tournament Referee, and Jamshed Gul,
Director of Referees, can be proud of their men.
 The
standard of refereeing in the qualifying round was astonishing, and
had nothing to envy to any major tournament all around the world.
Yes, a few marking announcement mistakes, so what?
As a non English born language speaker, I know how hard it is
sometimes to get the words in the right order under pressure.
But the decisions were spot on. The refs didn’t let themselves be
impressed by “drama queen” attitudes, walking to the other side of
the service box to try to force the decision, asked very quickly
that the game should continue…
No “home advantage”, let me tell you. A very very high standard
indeed…
What can I say… I’m impressed.
Well done guys! |
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JAMSHED GUL:
BACK IN PAKISTAN
For years, Jamshed Gul worked abroad, in Malaysia for 5 years
I believe. But recently, the Pakistani Squash Federation has asked
him to come back to his native country, and placed him in charge of
Coaching, as coaching Director. He is also in charge of the Senior
Team, and the Director of Referees.
“My aim is to make Pakistan Squash open to the world”, said the very
helpful and talented man.
This man is a gem, let me tell you. He has made me feel like I’m a
member of the Royal Family of England, and whatever I ask for, he is
doing his utmost best to provide it. I know he played a crucial part
in me being here, so I am extremely grateful…
I’ve only been here for one day, but I am impressed by a lot over
here. And no doubt I will be speaking about Jamshed a lot more
before this tournament is over… |
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