Road to Rio: Skeet shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan finally gets a shot at Olympics

      Name: Mairaj Ahmad Khan
Age: 40
Discipline (sport): Shooting
Category: trapshooting Men
Qualification: Mairaj qualified for the athletic competition by finishing in sixth place at the ISSF scattergun World Cup command in Lonato, Italy
Strengths: The ace shooter has over fifteen years of expertise to accept and be a rival to appear out for during this scattergun class.
Past Olympic performance: Debut
Past record (best performances): - Mairaj won the prize within the 2016 World Cup command at Diamond State Janeiro|Rio|city|metropolis|urban center} de Janeiro
- He clenched the medallion at the Team trapshooting event within the 2010 Old Delhi Commonwealth Games
- He affected gold in 2011 Asian scattergun Championship team event also
- Mairaj has conjointly won the national championship 3 times
By tributary to four of the twenty six medals that India has won within the Summer Games thus far, shooting has perpetually been a crucial Olympic sport for the country. several shooters like Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Vijay Kumar became house names. however amidst these varied disciplines within the sport, trapshooting hasn’t seen a lot of luck thus far. several contemplate it the weakest adherent for Indian shooting. That’s wherever Mairaj Ahmad Khan comes into the image.

Mairaj finally made-up for India in trapshooting by clinching a spot at the Rio de Janeiro athletic competition. he's presently hierarchical  ninth within the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) world rankings. With fifteen years of expertise to bank on, the 40-year- recent contestant from state still refuses to decision himself a ‘veteran’. This hesitation stems because of his undignified defeat throughout his 1st international tournament.
He didn’t simply lose at the scattergun World Championship fifteen years past throughout his debut, he terminated up returning last within the tournament. however Mairaj didn’t let that are available in his manner throughout the Olympic qualifiers. “I keep in mind flopping fifteen years past terribly clearly. therefore I unbroken telling myself that i used to be a far better shooter currently. Stronger, faster, tough,” Mairaj told The Indian categorical. therefore it absolutely was nearly poetic once Mairaj terminated up qualifying in Italian Republic at the entice Concaverde structure, an equivalent place that he had witnessed his 1st defeat.
His qualification wasn't coincidence that currently puts him as a robust rival for creating Olympic history for India this year; he conjointly won the prize within the 2016 World Cup command at Diamond State Janeiro|Rio|city|metropolis|urban center} de Janeiro recently. he's in peak condition and had a very consistent season this year with shot a lot of 121 and one hundred twenty earlier within the World Cups. “(Scoring) 120’s sort of a century in cricket,” aforementioned the shooter whereas explaining the connexion of breaking this score barrier.
Mairaj conjointly has another Italian association besides the Concaverde triumph. he's currently being trained by Italian shooter and Olympic champion Ennio bird genus. The best coach has helped boost Mairaj’s confidence and improved his technical bit. “Falco brought in belief, sharpened techniques and told USA the way to indurate a contest,” Mairaj told The Indian categorical.
With all his achievements and also the promise of this athletic competition, it's clear that Mairaj has become the face of trapshooting in India.
"I am conjointly vastly happy and pleased with Mairaj, as all the hardships he has had to endure of these years and also the dedication and diligence that he has place in into his sport despite, is finally bearing fruit," President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Raninder Singh, a scattergun shooter himself, extra whereas chatting with NDTV. Mairaj is additionally assured that his diligence can find yourself seeing results. He needs to travel on the far side his varied national accolades and produce glory to India. “I’ve perpetually been Mairaj Ahmed Khan, the national champion. currently I’ll be Mairaj Ahmed Khan, the Olympian,” he said.

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