Mairaj Ahmad Khan: Longevity secret of India's trailblazing shooter
Synopsis
At 51, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, a trailblazer for Indian skeet shooting, credits his long career to his mindset of taking 'one target at a time'. Despite hardships, he became the first Indian to win a World Cup gold in skeet and now eyes LA 2028.
At 51, Mairaj Ahmad Khan continues to approach shooting with the same mindset that has sustained one of India's longest careers in the sport: focus on the present, work hard and take every target as it comes, according to a release.
A Trailblazing Journey
His journey began in the under-12 category as a three-position rifle shooter, inspired by the firearms he grew up around. After a break to focus on studies and cricket, he returned to shooting in 1994 as a shotgun shooter before specialising in skeet from 2000. Mairaj went on to become a trailblazer for Indian skeet, becoming the country's first shooter in the event to qualify for the Olympics. He made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, before returning at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021.
"I never go into the future. I always stay in the present. I take one day at a time. I take one target at a time. This is my longevity secret," Mairaj said.
Overcoming Adversity to Make History
He also became the first Indian skeet shooter to win a World Cup medal, claiming silver at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in Rio in 2016, before making history again in 2022 by winning India's first individual ISSF World Cup gold in men's skeet. That 2022 triumph was particularly special because it came after Mairaj had seriously considered walking away from the sport. The death of his father, the pandemic and the loss of sponsorship support had made continuing difficult, the release said.
"I realised that maybe this is the time to say thank you to the sport," he recalled. But the competitive fire remained. He returned by investing his own money and won World Cup gold in Korea, proving that he still had what it took.
Sights Set on the Future
Although he missed out on Paris 2024, Mairaj has already set his sights on Los Angeles 2028. "I didn't qualify for Paris, but I never give up, and I'm focusing more towards LA. Maybe the ultimate dream comes true in LA only; you never know," he said.
Now, with another Asian Games ahead, Mairaj remains unwilling to make predictions. For him, the formula is unchanged: prepare for the first target, stay present and give everything to the moment. "My goal is always one target at a time. I can't tell you that I will shoot a gold medal or I will shoot a silver medal. Whatever comes, you have to accept and move on. I will give my best. That's my ability. That's my hard work."
After more than three decades in the sport, two Olympic appearances and a historic World Cup gold, Mairaj Ahmad Khan is still chasing the same thing -- the perfect shot, one target at a time.