Jansher to coach squash players for 2 years

ISLAMABAD—Former squash superstar Jansher Khan will devote the next two years entirely to lifting the declining standards in this country and will initially focus on improving the international rankings of a core group of four players.
“I will be available for coaching the upcoming youngsters for the entire duration of 2007 and 2008”, former eight-times World Open Squash Champion Jansher Khan said in an interview on Friday. He said he would be available to Pakistan Squash Federation as a fulltime coach or in any other capacity such as advisor etc., expressing his firm resolve to guide four selected players to top-10 international rankings. The quartet in question comprises Aamir Atlas Khan, Farhan Mehboob, Majid Khan and Waqar Mehboob.
“Though I will be available for two years, I am confident I can guide these four to drastically improve their rankings within the first six months of next year”, Jansher said.
He said Aamir Atlas and Farhan Mehboob would also compete in the Under-19 category of the upcoming British Junior Squash Championship at Sheffield (England).
A 33-strong Pakistan contingent, with Jansher Khan himself among the officials, will leave for Sheffield on Sunday to participate in the British Junior Squash Championship.
“I will coach my group of four in all earnest upon return from the British Junior on January 6-7”, said Jansher who had coached a group of players for CAS International Tournament and Pakistan Open in November. He said that Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed, who is President of PSF, had pledged to provide all material and coaching facilities to the players.
“I am also proceeding to sheffield on the urging of the chief”, he said, adding that the PSF chief would also meeting the juniors on Saturday on the eve of their departure for Sheffield.
Jansher said he would raise a system for scientific coaching of players. “I will get the players compete in eight 25-30,000 dollars tournaments—four international tournaments at home and as many abroad”.
“The idea is to enable these players to gradually improve their rankings because they would be eliminated in qualifiers if straightaway thrown in major tournaments of US $ 100,000 etc.”, he said.
He said he would also hire 6-8 trainers, instead of assistant coaches, so that they could play with the boys in the court and assess their strengths and weaknesses on hand.
“I will also engage former international players Gogi Alauddin and Mohibullah for observing the progress of the players in the court and advise me about the same”, he said.
“Our players mainly lack in mental strength and there is need to make up for this deficiency”, Jansher said, adding that he would rotate his training camps in all provincial capitals and federal capital so as to generate interest among the local fans.—APP