'I won't leave it until I win': Khan returns for his 4th Asiad with same Oly dream
As Mairaj Ahmad Khan prepares for his fourth Asian Games, the Olympic gold that has stayed out of reach for more than two decades remains his biggest motivation. From cricket fields in Bulandshahr to becoming India's first Olympic skeet shooter and the country's first men's skeet World Cup champion, the 50-year-old reflects on Rio, COVID, personal loss, Cairo, and the philosophy that continues to…
Mairaj Ahmad Khan, a 50-year-old Indian skeet shooter, is returning to his fourth Asian Games with the same dream that has driven him for over two decades - winning an Olympic gold medal. The medal he covets most is the one that has eluded him since his debut in 2006. Khan, who became the first Indian skeet shooter to qualify for the Olympics, now aims to become an Olympic champion at the age of 50.
He has already rewritten parts of Indian skeet shooting history, winning the men's skeet World Cup gold and representing India at two Olympics. Khan's journey began in a family of zamindars where firearms were common. His father, Late Ilyas Ahmed Khan, was a trap shooter, and Mairaj himself won ₹30 in a district-level three-position competition, using the prize money to buy a cricket bat.
Despite cricket being his first love, he eventually found his calling in shooting. His international career began in 1998, with his Olympic debut in 2015, where he secured India's first men's skeet quota place. Khan's success is attributed to the dedication and support of his sponsor, Mr. Naveen Jindal, who helped him overcome the financial barriers of the sport.
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