U.S. standout Latasha Kahn squash is a family affair
Hardwork, determination and focus. That’s what U.S. squash standout Latasha Kahn (Seattle, Wash.) believes are the keys to her success. A player since the age of eight, Kahn was introduced to the sport through her father Yusuf, former owner of the Seattle Racquet Club. A native of Pakistan, Yusuf was a professional player who moved to the United States to pursue his coaching career.
For the Kahns, squash is truly a family affair, as three of the eight children (Latasha, Shabana and Azam) all play competitively. The trio has all reached the elite level of the sport under the guidance of their father. Currently, Latasha is the number-one ranked female in the U.S. Older sister Shabana competed in the ‘95 and ’99 Pan American Games and is a contender for the 2003 Pan Am team. Brother Azam is a former U.S. national team member and now playing on the professional circuit.
One might assume that it is difficult to have a parent doubling as a coach. For Latasha, the experience has been positive.
“We’ve been able to separate his roles as my dad and my coach. It’s nice because I can go to him and really be honest with him. I think it’s harder for him sometimes, because he’s invested more in it emotionally.”
A seven-year veteran of world circuit competition, Kahn has consistently climbed the elite ranks of the sport. A member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, she also earned an individual silver medal. Since then, she has focused on improving her international ranking. This season has been a successful one for Kahn, who jumped from 29th to 22nd place in the world. Currently aiming to break into the top 20, Kahn is in a good position to represent the United States in the 2003 World Championships.
“Qualification for the world championships is based entirely on world rankings. The top 32 players in the world get to compete. If they took the rankings right now, I would be in.”
After winning the U.S. Elite and the U.S. National Championships this season, Kahn is on a roll. She is preparing for the upcoming U.S. Trials, where the top three male and female players will earn a berth to the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In discussing her sport, it is evident that Kahn is passionate about squash. Although relatively unknown in the United States, it is a high-profile game in countries like England, Australia and Egypt. In fact, squash is played in 123 different nations worldwide.
“Squash may not be big in the U.S., but internationally it’s huge,” Kahn points out. “It’s played in all of the big competitions like the Asian Games, the Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games.”
Kahn insists that increased visibility is all that squash needs to flourish in America.
“Occasionally they show matches on television and now a lot of colleges are starting to compete. In fact, the Pac-10 already has some great teams. It’s starting to spread across the colleges, especially on the West Coast. I really think that if more kids had opportunities to play, we would see the number of participants jump.”
For more information, contact Melissa Brown at (719) 866-2221, Melissa.Brown@usoc.org. This release is also available on the USOC’s public website (www.usolympicteam.com) and media-specific website (http://usocpressbox.org).
