Mairaj Ahmad Khan is an Indian Sport Shooter and He represents India in a Men’s Skeet event. He was born on Sunday, November 2, 1975, in Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India.
His father Ilyas Ahmad Khan is a state-level trap shooter and his mother Farukhi Khan is a housewife. In 1998, After his studies, his uncle was introduced to shooting. From then he developed an interest in shooting and began to pursue shooting professionally.
Initially, He was being trained by national coach Sunny Thomas, later, hired a personal coach Mr Andre Benelli. In 2003, made his international debut for India at the 2003 ISSF World Cup held at Lonato in Italy but didn’t win any medals.
In 2007, he won a Gold medal at the National Shooting Championship in Delhi. A year later, he won his first international Gold medal in the skeet shooting team event at the 2008 Singapore Open Shooting Championship followed by a bronze medal in skeet shooting the individual in the same event.
Mairaj Ahmad Khan Medals:
Gold:
National: 1) National Shooting Championship Competition 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016: Gold Medal 2) All India Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Master’s Shooting Championship 2009: Gold Medal 3) National Games 2011: Gold Medal 4) All India Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Master’s Shooting Championship 2012: Gold Medal International: 5) Singapore open shooting championship 2007 (Team): Gold Medal 6) Singapore open shooting championship 2008 (Team): Gold Medal 7) Commonwealth Shooting Championship 2010 (Pairs): Gold Medal 8) ISSF World Cup 2021 (Team): Gold Medal
Silver:
National: 9) National Games 2007: Silver Medal 10) National Shooting Championship Competition 2014: Silver Medal 11) National Games 2015: Silver Medal International: 12) Singapore open shooting championship 2008: Silver Medal 13) South Asian Federation Shooting Championship 2009: Silver Medal 14) Commonwealth Shooting Championship 2010: Silver Medal 15) Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship 2012: Silver Medal 16) ISSF World Cup 2016: Silver Medal
Bronze:
National: 17) All India Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Master’s Shooting Championship 2008: Bronze Medal 18) National Shooting Championship Competition 2011: Bronze Medal International: 19) Singapore open shooting championship 2007: Bronze Medal 20) Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship 2016: Bronze Medal
All Wiki Biography:
Biography
Real Name
Mairaj Ahmad Khan
Profession
Indian Sport Shooter
Event
Men’s Skeet
International Debut
2003
Coach/Mentor (s)
Andrea Benelli Sunny Thomas
Date of Birth
November 2, 1975 (Sunday)
Age (as in 2021)
45 Years
Birth Place
Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh
Hometown
Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh
Zodiac Sign
Scorpio
Religion
Hindu
Nationality
Indian
School
Not Known
College
Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
Education Qualifications
Graduation
Physical Stats & More
Physical Stats
Height (Approx)
175 cm (in Centimeters) 1.75 m (in meters) 5’ 9” (in feet inches)
Weight (Approx)
81 kg (in kilograms) 178 lbs (in pounds)
Eye Colour
Brown
Hair Colour
Black
Family:
Family
Parents
Father: Late Ilyas Ahmed Khan Mother: Farrukh Ilyas
Mairaj Ahmad Khan is a senior Indian shotgun skeet shooter.
While he was in school and college, he wanted to become a cricketer. At the age of 10, with the prize money of the U-12 50-metre rifle competition, he bought a cricket bat. He has also played cricket with the famous Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag. During an interview, he talked about his love for cricket. He said,
Most players used to take 60-70 balls to score 80 or so. I would do that in 30 or 40 balls. I used to bat at number 3 and seeing Sehwag and playing cricket used to get excited. I have played cricket with Sehwag for Jamia University. I have also participated in tournaments like Vizzy Trophy, CK Nayudu Trophy but I am a big fan of Sourav Ganguly. I am a left-hander and wanted to bat like Ganguly. I have met him too, but luck may have chosen the Olympic path for me, so now I am aiming there.”
Later, he opted for shooting as his career. In an interview, he shared how he got interested in shooting. He said,
My father was a shooter and as a child, I accompanied him to the shooting field. I loved seeing him shoot and I immediately developed a passion for such discipline. To be honest I have followed my family tradition and I do have to thank him for passing down to me the love for this particular sport.”
Mairaj Ahmad Khan while practising shooting
In 1998, he started professional training in shooting. While he was practising in a shooting range in Delhi, the former national trap coach Timur Matoian noticed him. During an interview, Khan shared the incident. He said,
He had been watching me for a few weekends. Finally, he came up to me and said that my technique was terrible. But he offered to help me correct it if I got into shooting seriously.”
Mairaj Ahmad Khan during his practise session
With his intensive training, he has won many national and international tournaments.
He became the first Indian to qualify for the Shotgun Skeet Event in Lonato, Italy, in September 2015.
In 2016, he won a silver medal at the 2016 ISSF World Cup Championship, and in the same year, he got the Rio Olympic quota under the shotgun skeet event.
He represented India in Rio Olympics 2016 in the shooting event SK125 and became the first Indian to do so.
He aims to train budding shooters through his NGO ‘MAK Shooting Foundation.’
Mairaj Ahmad Khan is working on his autobiography titled ‘Hard Target’ (as of 2021).
In an interview, he talked about his most exciting winning moment. He said,
My best victory was certainly the one thanks to which I qualified for the Olympics; indeed it was an unmatchable sensation … I really couldn’t believe that I would be eligible to compete against the other shooters during the Rio 2016 Olympics. My dream had come true, moreover, it was the first time that India had passed the eliminating round as for the skeet discipline! Can you immagine that? It’ s a victory that will remain in history, I am absolutely proud thereof. Furthermore there are many other victories that I keep in my heart: I have gained 7 titles as national champion, was awarded a 2010 Commonwealth Shooting Champion golden medal, a Rio World Cup silver as well as a 2016 Asian Championship bronze one.”
