Geoff Hunt
AM MBE
Full nameGeoffrey Brian Hunt
Country Australia
ResidenceCanberra
Born (1947-03-11) 11 March 1947
Melbourne
PlaysRight Handed
Men's Singles
Highest ranking1 (February 1976)
World OpenW (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
Medal record
Men's squash
Representing  Australia
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1976 London Singles
Gold medal – first place 1977 Adelaide Singles
Gold medal – first place 1979 Toronto Singles
Gold medal – first place 1980 Adelaide Singles
Silver medal – second place 1981 Toronto Singles
Last updated: 20 December 2011.

Geoffrey Brian Hunt, 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.

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.

Hunt was born in Melbourne and now resides in Queensland. [1] 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.

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.

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.[2] He became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1982 Australia Day Honours[3] and received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[4]

Hunt has been inducted into the World Squash Federation Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

World Open final appearances

Wins (4)
Year Opponent in final Score in final
1976Mohibullah Khan7–9, 9–4, 8–10, 9–2, 9–2
1977Qamar Zaman9–5, 10–9, 0–9, 9–4
1979Qamar Zaman9–2, 9–3, 9–2
1980Qamar Zaman9–0, 9–3, 9–3
Runners-up (1)
Year Opponent in final Score in final
1981Jahangir Khan7–9, 9–1, 9–2, 9–2

British Open final appearances

Wins (8)
Year Opponent in final Score in final
1969Cam Nancarrow9–5, 9–4, 9–0
1974Mo Yasinwalkover (injury)
1976Mohibullah Khan7–9, 9–4, 8–10, 9–2, 9–2
1977Cam Nancarrow9–4, 9–4, 8–10, 9–4
1978Qamar Zaman7–9, 9–1, 9–1, 9–2
1979Qamar Zaman2–9, 9–7, 9–0, 6–9, 9–3
1980Qamar Zaman9–3, 9–2, 1–9, 9–1
1981Jahangir Khan9–2, 9–7, 5–9, 9–7
Runners-up (2)
Year Opponent in final Score in final
1970Jonah Barrington9–7, 3–9, 9–4, 9–4
1972Jonah Barrington0–9, 9–7, 10–8, 6–9, 9–7

Books

Geoff Hunt on Squash (London: Cassell) 1977.

References

  1. ↑ "Geoff Hunt on Jahangir Khan, squash in the 70s, Egypt and coaching in Qatar". Sportageous. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Geoffrey Brian Hunt". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "Geoffrey Brian Hunt, MBE". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Geoffrey Brian Hunt, AM, MBE". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
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