In
celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sharif Khan’s first entry into
the North American Open Championship (1968), a new biography:
The Sheriff of Squash, The Life and Times of Sharif Khan Legendary Squash Champion by Rob Dinerman and Karen Khan October 14, 2018 - This is a story of pride, determination, cultural divides, and deep personal recollections.
From 1968 to 1982, Sharif Khan won every major North American hardball
squash tournament in the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central
America--in addition to his 4th in the world softball ranking and
semi-final (1970) placing in the British Open during this same
period.
Born in Pakistan, raised in the simple but idyllic village life of
Nawakille, he was uprooted from his childhood at age 11 and sent to the
posh public school of Millfield in Street, Somerset, UK.
Sharif was on the path of the ‘outlier’ to become a great sports
champion, feted as the eldest son of Pakistani national sports hero
Hashim Khan. But personal costs were high, with separation and
cultural confusion taking a toll on such a young life
Karen Khan has interpreted her husband Sharif’s voice, and squash historian Rob Dinerman has co-authored the project.
The result is a long-awaited biography commemorating Sharif’s life and career.
From Gilbert Mateer:
This is a marvelous story of one of
the greatest ‘squashers’ to ever play the game. While we all saw the
facade of Sharif Khan none of us ever heard of the life behind the
Legend. This is a must read for all of those who grew up playing or
watching hardball squash!
Official Book Launch:
At the Balmy Beach Club in Toronto, Thursday October 18th 7-10 pm by invitation.
