Geoff Hunt
{{Short description|Australian squash player}}
{{for-multi|the ice hockey player|Jeff Hunt|the marine artist|Geoff Hunt (marine artist)|the golfer|Geoffrey Hunt}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox squash player
| name = Geoff Hunt
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=|size=100|AM|MBE}}}}
| image =
| caption = AIS Head Squash Coach Geoff Hunt
| fullname = Geoffrey Brian Hunt
| nickname =
| country = {{AUS}}
| residence = Canberra
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1947|3|11}}
| birth_place = Melbourne
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| turnedpro =
| retired =
| plays = Right Handed
| coach =
| racquet =
| website =
| event = Men's Singles
| years_active =
| highest_ranking = 1
| date_of_highest_ranking = February 1976
| current_ranking =
| date_of_current_ranking =
| titles =
| finals =
| WorldOpenresult = W (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's squash }}
{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championships}}
{{MedalGold | 1976 London | Singles}}
{{MedalGold | 1977 Adelaide | Singles}}
{{MedalGold | 1979 Toronto | Singles}}
{{MedalGold | 1980 Adelaide | Singles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1981 Toronto | Singles}}
| updated = 20 December 2011
}}
Geoffrey Brian Hunt, {{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=|size=100|AM|MBE}} (born 11 March 1947), is a retired Australian squash player who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players in history.
Hunt was born in Melbourne and now resides in Queensland.{{Cite web |title=Geoff Hunt on Jahangir Khan, squash in the 70s, Egypt and coaching in Qatar |url=https://www.sportageous.co/geoff-hunt-on-jahangir-khan-squash-australia-qatar/ |access-date=2020-10-31 |website=Sportageous|date=8 September 2020 }} He won the Australian Junior Championship in 1963, and he first won the Australian Amateur Men's Championship in 1965.
Hunt was known for having great determination. He ultimately suffered back problems, which curtailed his career.
Career Overview
He was ranked the World No.1 squash player from 1975 to 1980. He won the World Open title four times. He was the event's inaugural champion, winning the competition on the first four occasions it was held (1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980). He also won the International Amateur Individual Championship three times (1967, 1969, and 1971), and the British Open (which was considered to be the effective world championship event involving both amateurs and professionals before the World Open began) eight times between 1969 and 1981. Hunt won 178 of the 215 tournaments he contested during his career.
After retiring as a player, Hunt served as the Head Squash Coach at the Australian Institute of Sport from 1985–2003, where he helped develop a new generation of Australian squash stars. He then worked for 8 years at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar. Following his retirement and move back to Australia, he has continued to coach Qatari professional player Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi.
Recognition
In the 1972 New Years Honours Hunt was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sport and international relations.{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1084311|title=Geoffrey Brian Hunt|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-01-26}} He became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1982 Australia Day Honours{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886267|title=Geoffrey Brian Hunt, MBE|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-01-26}} and received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/981826|title=Geoffrey Brian Hunt, AM, MBE|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-01-26}}
Hunt has been inducted into the World Squash Federation Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-28 |title=Squash Legends : Geoff Hunt |url=https://www.worldsquash.org/squash-legends-geoff-hunt/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=World Squash |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Geoff Hunt {{!}} Sport Australia Hall of Fame |url=https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/geoff-hunt/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |language=en-US}}
World Open final appearances
| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" | ||
| bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | Wins (4) | ||
| bgcolor="#efefef"
|Year |Opponent in final |Score in final | ||
| 1976 | Mohibullah Khan | 7–9, 9–4, 8–10, 9–2, 9–2 |
| 1977 | Qamar Zaman | 9–5, 10–9, 0–9, 9–4 |
| 1979 | Qamar Zaman | 9–2, 9–3, 9–2 |
| 1980 | Qamar Zaman | 9–0, 9–3, 9–3 |
| bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | Runners-up (1) | ||
| bgcolor="#efefef"
|Year |Opponent in final |Score in final | ||
| 1981 | Jahangir Khan | 7–9, 9–1, 9–2, 9–2 |
British Open final appearances
| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" | ||
| bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | Wins (8) | ||
| bgcolor="#efefef"
|Year |Opponent in final |Score in final | ||
| 1969 | Cam Nancarrow | 9–5, 9–4, 9–0 |
| 1974 | Mo Yasin | walkover (injury) |
| 1976 | Mohibullah Khan | 7–9, 9–4, 8–10, 9–2, 9–2 |
| 1977 | Cam Nancarrow | 9–4, 9–4, 8–10, 9–4 |
| 1978 | Qamar Zaman | 7–9, 9–1, 9–1, 9–2 |
| 1979 | Qamar Zaman | 2–9, 9–7, 9–0, 6–9, 9–3 |
| 1980 | Qamar Zaman | 9–3, 9–2, 1–9, 9–1 |
| 1981 | Jahangir Khan | 9–2, 9–7, 5–9, 9–7 |
| bgcolor="#c7dcf6"
| colspan="3" | Runners-up (2) | ||
| bgcolor="#efefef"
|Year |Opponent in final |Score in final | ||
| 1970 | Jonah Barrington | 9–7, 3–9, 9–4, 9–4 |
| 1972 | Jonah Barrington | 0–9, 9–7, 10–8, 6–9, 9–7 |
Books
Geoff Hunt on Squash (London: Cassell) 1977.
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051201214337/http://www.squashpics.com/pastplayers/geoff_hunt.htm Page at squashpics.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125233211/http://www.monash.edu.au/alumni/prominent-alumni/geoff-hunt.html Monash University alumni profile]
- {{Squash Info|884-geoff-hunt}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box
| before = Qamar Zaman
| after = Qamar Zaman
| title = World No. 1
| years = February 1976 – December 1980
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Squash World Number Ones (men)}}
{{Squash World Open men's champions}}
{{British Open squash men's singles champions}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Geoff}}
Category:Australian male squash players
Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Monash University alumni
Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Australian Institute of Sport coaches
Category:Members of the Order of Australia
Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
Category:Squash players from Melbourne