Geoff Hunt of Australia became the first officially recognised world champion of the sport of squash when he won the British Open Championship -- which now incorporates the world title -- at Wembley, London, on Monday (9 February).

Hunt, who has been at the top of the sport for several years, defeated 20-year-old Pakistani Mohibullah Khan, who had dismissed last year's champion in the semi-final.

Squash is a fast and tiring game played with rackets and a small hard ball in a walled court -- and the final lasted for 130 minutes, only three minutes short of the longest match on record.

Besides the honour of the world title Hunt took GBP10,000 (about 20,000 U.S. dollars) -- the biggest in the game's history.