Hiddy Jahan

Hidayet "Hiddy" Jahan (born 15 March 1950, in Quetta, Pakistan) is a squash player who was ranked among the top-6 players in the world from 1970 through to 1986.

A serious accident almost killed him in 1967. He had been selected to represent Pakistan in squash's first World Team Championship, and was on a train travelling from Quetta to Karachi for the final training camp when he leaned too far out of a railway carriage door and struck his head against a signal post. He was extremely lucky to survive.

In later years, as he established himself as a top player on the international scene, Hiddy felt that he did not receive proper support from the Pakistani squash authorities. He thus chose to go on a tour of South Africa during the apartheid era for purely financial reasons. For this, he was banned and his passport impounded. As a result he moved to the United Kingdom in 1978 (he was able to secure permission to do so partly because of his British wife), and became Britain's top player through to 1984. In the last few years of his top-level career, he played represented England in international competitions.

Hiddy was a close friend of Torsam Khan, the older brother of Jahangir Khan. Hiddy played an important role in helping to groom the young Jahangir, who went on to become the dominant player in the game in the 1980s. Hiddy was runner-up to Jahangir at the British Open in 1982.

In recent years, Hiddy has been a very successful squash player in veteran's events. He has won British Open titles at Over-35, Over-40, Over-45 and Over-50 level.

Hiddy's younger brothers Zarak Jahan Khan and Zubair Jahan Khan also both became successful professional squash players on the international circuit.

External links

* [http://www.squashpics.com/pastplayers/hiddy_jahan.htm Page at squashpics.com]
* [http://www.squashtalk.com/featuredplayer/playerjuly2001.htm Article at squashtalk.com]
* [http://www.the-south-asian.com/Nov2001/Pakistan%20squash%206.htm Pakistan Squash Part 6 – from the-south-asian.com]