Back in the 1950s when cricket and football weren’t the only sports that would garner public attention, a tragic hero rose to fame in the world of squash. Gaining international prominence in 1957, Roshan Khan won the hearts of people when he brought home the British Open trophy.
Early Life and The Fascination with Squash
Known as one of the three cousins in the squash world, Roshan Khan along with his distant cousins Hashim and Azam Khan, dominated the British Open Tournament and the North American Open in the 1950s.
Besides winning the British Open in 1957, Roshan Khan also won the North American Open in 1958, 1960, and 1961. Even though his cousins were supremely talented and held the British Open title for several years, they went on to pursue careers in the US and the UK and subsequently moved there as well.
Roshan Khan’s story of hard work and perseverance is one that the world remembers. When he was young, he used to visit the British mess with his father and watched the English play squash.
This fascination was the start of a phenomenal career that was passed through generations. Roshan Khan began his career in squash with the help of his family and especially his brother, Nasrullah Khan.
One Win: World Dominance
His dream was to compete and win the British Open finals and make his country proud. The two brothers, Nasrullah and Roshan, shared an intense passion for sports. Whether it was rackets, tennis, or squash, they excelled. However, squash was the sport where their talent truly stood out, particularly in Roshan’s case.
The partition of India in 1947 brought Roshan his first painful setback. Nasrullah, who was working professionally in New Delhi at the time, was separated from the family following Independence. This separation deeply affected Roshan, who had been very close to his brother and cherished him as both a sibling and a squash partner.
Despite the emotional blow, Roshan continued playing squash with the same enthusiasm he had in his childhood. His dedication paid off when he reached the final of the Pakistan Professional Championship in 1949, though he lost to Hashim Khan. Undeterred, Roshan persevered and won the championship in 1951, successfully defending the title the following year. However, a sense of dissatisfaction lingered, as his chief rival, Hashim, had not participated in either event due to commitments in Britain.
But after participating and winning in the Pakistan Professional Championship, his dream became bigger and he wanted to win the British Open title and win against his rival Hashim Khan.
Even though he was resilient in his perusal, he still managed to gain 9 losses before his phenomenal victory in 1951.
Roshan Khan remained in Pakistan after winning the British Open tournament once, and built his life and career in the country. After that, he went on to win more accolades to his name until he retired.
Watch his story and what transpired in history between the well-known Hashim Khan and Pakistan’s Tragic Hero, Roshan Khan in this fascinating documentary of resilience by Rava.