Mairaj Ahmad Khan

Mairaj Ahmed Khan (born 2 November 1975, in Khurja, District Bulandshahar) is an Indian shooter in the shotgun skeet discipline. He won the Olympics quota in the Shotgun Skeet Event in Lonato, Italy in September 2015, the first Indian to qualify in this particular discipline. In 2016, he won silver at ISSF World Cup held in April in Rio de Janeiro, the host country for 2016 Olympics.[1]

He is the first and only Indian to have held both the World Cup title as well as the Olympic quota for India at the same time, a feat he accomplished by capturing the Silver Medal at the 2016 ISSF World Cup Championship in Rio as well as a quota place for the shotgun skeet event for the Olympics in 2016. He is the first Indian athlete to represent India in the SK125 Event during the Rio Olympic Games. Currently he is ranked 10th in the world and 6th in Asia; he has been an international level shooter for over 15 years and has multiple accolades behind him including medals won during the Commonwealth Shooting Championship, Asian Championship, South Asian Federation and National & International Championships.

Personal life and early years

Mairaj was born in a Muslim Sunni family of landlords situated in Khurja, Bulandshahr a small district of Uttar Pradesh, Northern India. His parents were Mr. Ilyas Ahmed Khan and Mrs. Farrukh. He started practicing for shooting in 1998 right after college. Shooting was introduced to him through his uncle which gradually became his profession, he had a farsightedness for this sport and took up seriously. His brother Najam Ahmed Khan is also a shooter but prefers to look after the family business as he is very much a business-oriented person, his other siblings being Siraj Ahmed Khan and Farheen Ilyas Khan.

His first international competition was the ISSF World Cup in 2003 in Lonato, Italy.

Future goals

He has plans to provide support to India's upcoming talent of shooters through MAK Shooting Foundation, wherein he will provide training to the aspiring shooters who are keen to take up Skeet Shooting seriously, as of now there are very few in this category who can compete in the international level competitions and events. An autobiography entitled Hard Target is being written on him which will be published soon.

Performances

2016: 1st ever Silver Medal in Skeet at ISSF World Cup, Rio, Brazil. 2015: Olympic Quota Place for Rio 2016, Brazil – World championship, Lonato, Italy.

Awards and recognitions

Gold Medal Tally National & International Championships

National Achievements

International Achievements

Silver Medal Tally National & International Championships

National Achievements Silver Medal – 2007 National Games, Guwahati. Silver Medal – 2015 National Games, Kerala, Silver Medal – 2014 National Shooting Championship Competition (NSCC), Patiala.

International Achievements Silver Medal – 2012 Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship, Malaysia. Silver Medal (Individual) - 2010 Commonwealth Shooting Championship, New Delhi, India. Silver Medal (Team & Individual) – 2009 South Asian Federation Shooting Championship, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Silver Medal (Individual) – 2008 Singapore open shooting championship

Bronze Medal Tally National & International Championships

National Achievements Bronze Medal - 2011 National Shooting Championship Competition (NSCC), Delhi. Bronze Medal – 2008 All India Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Master's Shooting Championship, Patiala.

International Achievements Bronze Medal (Individual) - 2007 Singapore open shooting championship

ISSF World Cup Championships

2016: Rio - Brazil 2015 – Lonato, Italy 2015: Gabala - Azerbaijan, Laranca - Cyprus, Alain – UAE, Acapulco - Mexico 2014: Munich - Germany 2014 – Granada, Spain 2013 – Lima, Peru 2012: Tucson - USA, London – UK 2011: Concepcion - Chile, Beijing – China, Sydney – Australia, Maribor - Slovenia 2011 – Belgrade, Serbia 2010: Lonato - Italy, Dorset – UK 2010 – Munich, Germany 2009: Cairo – Egypt, Munich – Germany, Minsk – Belarus, San Marino - San Marino 2009 – Maribor, Slovenia 2008: Beijing - China, Kerrville - USA. 2007: Lonato - Italy, Maribor - Slovenia 2006 – Zagreb, Crotia 2006: Xing Yuan - China, Kerrville - USA. 2005: Belgrade - Serbia. 2003: Lonato - Italy. 2000: New Delhi – India

Commonwealth Games

2014: Glasgow, Scotland 2010: New Delhi, India

Commonwealth Shooting Championships

2010 - New Delhi, India

Asian Games

2014: Incheon – Korea 2010: Guangzhou - China 2006: Doha – Qatar

Asian Shooting Championship

2012: Doha - Qatar 2007: Kuwait City – Kuwait

Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship 2013: Almaty, Kazakhstan 2012: Kuala Lampur, Malaysia 2009: Almaty, Kazakhstan 2008: Jaipur, India. 2007: Manila, Philippines. 2005: Bangkok, Thailand. 2004: Bangkok, Thailand.

South Asian Federation (SAF) Shooting Championship

2009 Dhaka, Bangladesh

Singapore Open Shooting Championship 2008 2007

References

  1. ↑ "Mairaj Ahmed Khan wins India's first skeet medal at a shooting World Cup". Zee News. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
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