At 50, Mairaj Ahmad Khan has already lived through several generations of Indian shooting. He has seen the sport change, competed at two Olympics, become the first Indian skeet shooter to qualify for the Games and eventually win the country’s first individual ISSF World Cup gold in the event. Yet, for all the milestones behind him, his ambition remains firmly pointed ahead.
The target now is another Asian Games, and beyond that, Los Angeles 2028. Mairaj missed out on Paris 2024, but retirement has never been part of his thinking. His philosophy remains as simple as the sport itself: Do not look too far ahead, stay in the present and deal with the target in front of you.
“I never go in 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 says.
For a shooter who first picked up a rifle as a child, went on to pursue cricket before returning to shooting, and later became an Olympic trailblazer in skeet, the journey has been anything but linear. What has remained constant, however, is the competitive instinct that has kept him at the range for more than three decades.
Who is Mairaj Ahmad Khan?
Born on November 2, 1975, in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, Mairaj Ahmad Khan is an Indian skeet shooter and two-time Olympian.
Shooting was part of his surroundings from an early age. His father, brother and uncles were state-level trap shooters, giving Mairaj an early connection with the sport. He initially competed in three-position rifle shooting and even finished third in an under-12 50m rifle competition.
His sporting interests, however, were not limited to shooting. Cricket became a major part of his childhood and teenage years, with Mairaj eventually playing at the collegiate level and representing Uttar Pradesh’s junior side. He also played alongside former India batter Virender Sehwag for Jamia Millia Islamia and featured in competitions such as the Vizzy Trophy and C K Nayudu Trophy.
He returned to shooting in 1994, this time as a shotgun shooter, before specialising in skeet from 2000.
His first international World Cup appearance came at Lonato, Italy, in 2003. From there, Mairaj built a long career across the World Cup circuit, Asian Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth competitions and, eventually, the Olympics.
His record includes three ISSF World Cup gold medals, including an individual title in Changwon in 2022, along with a team gold in New Delhi in 2021 and a mixed-team gold in Cairo in 2023.
Full list of major medals won by Mairaj Ahmad Khan
| Competition |
Event |
Year / Venue |
Result |
| ISSF World Cup |
Skeet Men |
2022, Changwon |
Gold |
| ISSF World Cup |
Skeet Mixed Team |
2023, Cairo |
Gold |
| ISSF World Cup |
Skeet Team Men |
2021, New Delhi |
Gold |
| ISSF World Cup |
Skeet Men |
2016, Rio de Janeiro |
Silver |
| ISSF World Cup |
Skeet Team Men |
2021, Cairo |
Bronze |
| Asian Championships |
Skeet Men |
2019, Doha |
Silver |
| Asian Championships |
Skeet Men |
2016, Abu Dhabi |
Bronze |
| Asian Championships |
Skeet Men |
2011, Kuala Lumpur |
Gold |
| Asian Championships |
Skeet Team |
2016, Abu Dhabi |
Bronze |
| Commonwealth Championships |
Skeet Men |
2010, New Delhi |
Gold |
| Commonwealth Championships |
Skeet Pairs |
2010, New Delhi |
Gold |
| South Asian Championships |
Skeet Men |
2009, Dhaka |
Gold |
| South Asian Championships |
Skeet Team |
2009, Dhaka |
Gold |
One target at a time
For someone who has spent more than three decades around competitive shooting, Mairaj’s approach is strikingly simple.
He does not want to predict medals or spend time thinking about results before he competes. Instead, his focus remains on the immediate task in front of him.
“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.”
That philosophy has allowed Mairaj to remain competitive across different generations of shooters.
Skeet demands concentration, speed and consistency, with competitors required to react to targets travelling at high speed from different directions. For Mairaj, however, the technical demands of the event are only one part of remaining at the top for so long.The ability to stay mentally present has become equally important.
From rifle shooting to skeet
Mairaj’s shooting journey began with a rifle rather than the shotgun discipline that would eventually make him an Indian pioneer.
His early exposure to shooting came through his family, but cricket temporarily took centre stage. He developed into a talented batsman and represented Uttar Pradesh at the junior level before continuing to play competitively in college.
His return to shooting in 1994 eventually led him towards shotgun events. By 2000, he had settled on skeet, a decision that would shape the rest of his sporting career.
The move did not produce immediate international success. Mairaj spent years competing and developing on the international circuit before breaking through at the highest level.
His first World Cup appearance came in 2003, and over the following years, he became a regular presence at major international competitions.
Becoming India’s Olympic skeet pioneer
Mairaj’s biggest breakthrough came in 2016, when he became the first Indian skeet shooter to qualify for the Olympic Games.
He competed at the Rio 2016 Olympics, finishing ninth in qualification with a score of 121 and narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
His Olympic journey continued at the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021, where he finished 25th with a score of 117.
Although he did not win an Olympic medal, his qualification itself represented an important milestone for Indian skeet.
He also produced one of the best results of his career in 2016, winning silver in the individual skeet event at the ISSF World Cup in Rio and finishing fourth at the World Cup Final in Rome.
The comeback that produced history
Perhaps the most significant chapter of Mairaj’s career came after he had already established himself as an Olympic shooter.
Following the death of his father in 2021, the disruption caused by the pandemic and the loss of sponsorship support, he seriously considered walking away from shooting.
“I realised that maybe this is the time to say thank you to the sport,” he recalls. But the thought of retirement did not last. Mairaj decided to continue and invested his own money in his training and competition. The decision soon produced the defining achievement of his career.
At the 2022 ISSF World Cup in Changwon, South Korea, he won the men’s skeet gold medal, becoming the first Indian skeet shooter to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold.
He qualified with a score of 119, then produced 27 in the semifinal and 37 in the medal match to take the title.
The victory was significant not only because of the medal but also because of the circumstances surrounding it. Mairaj had come close to stepping away from the sport, only to return and achieve something no Indian skeet shooter had done before.
From missing Paris to chasing Los Angeles
Mairaj’s career has also included disappointments. He missed qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the setback did not change his long-term ambition.
Instead, he shifted his attention towards Los Angeles 2028. “I didn’t qualify for Paris, but I never give up and I’m focussing more towards LA. Maybe the ultimate dream comes true in LA only, you never know.”
That pursuit explains why Mairaj continues to compete despite being one of the most experienced shooters in the Indian system.
His World Cup record also shows that he has remained capable of producing strong performances against younger competitors. He reached the World Cup Final in Rome in 2016 and finished sixth at the New Delhi World Cup Final in 2024.
The coaches behind the journey
Mairaj’s career has also been shaped by several prominent coaches. His coaching journey has included Andrea Benelli, Sunny Thomas, Ennio Falco and Riccardo Filippelli, while his current profile lists Benelli as his personal coach and Sunny Thomas as the national coach.
Away from his own competitive career, Mairaj has also contributed to the development of Indian shooting through the MAK Shooting Foundation, which works with emerging shooting talent.
He has also coached shooters, including Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, extending his influence beyond his own performances.
One of those teams will join UNLV at the top of the standings.
UNLV at North Texas
Northern Colorado at Wyoming
Cal Poly at San Jose State
North Dakota State at Air Force
Montana State at Nevada
New Mexico State at Hawai’i 
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