46 DECEMBER 2023 By Mallory Gleich Six World Championships. Twenty-three British Open Championships. Sixteen North American Open Titles and 19 U.S. Professional Championships. This is the legacy of Sakhi Khan’s family when it comes to the game of squash – titles they have accumulated for five generations. The family came to America from Pakistan when Sakhi was four months old. One of his father’s earliest accomplishments was an exhibition squash match at the Pentagon, where he was invited to the Harvard Club of Boston by John F. Kennedy, who happened to be in the stands. “My family has been involved with squash at the highest levels for many, many years,” Khan said. “I started playing at 12 when I was old enough to take the bus to the Harvard Club of Boston, where my father worked as a coach.” Squash is a game where two people hit a small rubber ball against a wall in a small, indoor court. Players take turns trying to make the ball bounce twice before the other person can hit it back. The court is like a box, and the game is fast and intense. Using a long racquet to smack the ball around, players score points when the other person can’t hit it back. It’s like tennis in a little room. Matches are won at best of three or five games. Each game is played to 11 points. If the score reaches 10-10, the game continues until one player wins by two points. “It’s like physical chess. You have to have a game plan to win. It can be very cardio intensive with long rallies and no let up until you win after playing close to two hours,” Khan said. Khan was – and is – up for the challenge. While attending Tufts University in the 80s, he was the No. 1 ranked junior squash player in the country and a four-time All- American. He played No. 1 on the USA team in the Pan Am Games in South America and the World Cup and competed on the World Professional Tour for seven years, winning several tournaments. He competed at the World Teaching Professional Championship twice. “Winning the World Championships was wonderful because it was the biggest venue I’ve played, in front of the largest crowd I’ve played,” Khan said. He was also a two-time Coach of the Year in the College Squash Association and a two- time NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) Coach of the Year at Colby College, a liberal arts institution in Waterville, Maine. Most recently, he was admitted to the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame. “Being inducted was one of the best things that’s happened to me during my squash career,” he said. Khan and his family moved to Phoenix from Waterville in August 2018. “We came here because I wanted to retire in a warm place with no winter weather – also, a place that holds job opportunities for my kids,” Khan said. His children Ameena, Mariam, Syra, Ilyas, Nadia, Yusef and Sulmahn also play squash and are hoping – and already practicing – to follow in their father’s footsteps. Khan started coaching at the Ocotillo Village Health Club in 2019. Today, he teaches at all Village locations, including the Camelback Village Racquet & Health Club in Arcadia, where he is the Director of Squash. “I give lessons, clinics and group instruction. I also help manage tournaments and league matches,” Khan said. His goals include making sure as many people play squash as possible. “I am an ambassador to squash, more so than a typical employee. I want the game to grow and for everyone to enjoy it. Anyone who wants to play can contact me for an introduction on how to play, and then I can match them with others at the same level,” Khan said. “Growing a squash community starts with knowing how to play and then getting on the court.” villageclubs.com Fifth-generation squash coach joins Village community Sakhi with a group of ASU squash players at Village Health Club, Ocotillo. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAKHI KHAN PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2020 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Mandatory player evaluations for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 18, and Saturday, January 25 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 1 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2019 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2020 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Mandatory player evaluations for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 18, and Saturday, January 25 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 1 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2019 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com REGISTRATION NOW OPEN • BASEBALL SOFTBALL TEE-BALL • Boys & Girls Ages 4-12 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.arcadialittleleague.com Registration closes on Feb 3. SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR BOUNDARY INCLUDE Archway Veritas, Biltmore Preparatory Academy, Desert View Learning Center, Echo Canyon, Hopi, Ingleside, Phoenix Country Day, Tavan Placement evaluations are mandatory for upper Baseball and Softball divisions. Practice will begin in February. Season runs from early March until May.