Mairaj Ahmad Khan Still Chasing the Olympic Dream at 51, One Target at a Time

At 51, when most athletes have long moved beyond the demands of elite competition, Mairaj Ahmad Khan is still chasing targets, medals and the ultimate Olympic dream.

India’s first Olympic skeet shooter has built one of the longest and most remarkable careers in Indian shooting, but his approach remains strikingly simple. He does not spend too much time thinking about medals that may come, records that may be broken or competitions years away.

For Mairaj, everything comes down to the next moment. “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,” he says. That philosophy has carried him through more than three decades in the sport, two Olympic appearances, World Cup medals, personal tragedy and moments when he came close to walking away from shooting altogether.

Yet Mairaj remains motivated by the same challenge that has defined his career: hit the next target.

Mairaj's journey in shooting began much earlier than his international career. As a youngster, he competed in the under-12 category as a three-position rifle shooter. Growing up around firearms helped develop his interest in the sport, and shooting quickly became a part of his life.

However, his journey was not a straight line. He took a break from competitive shooting to focus on his studies and cricket before returning to the sport in 1994. This time, he chose a different discipline and began competing as a shotgun shooter.

By 2000, Mairaj had specialised in skeet. It was a decision that would eventually transform him into one of Indian shooting's most important pioneers.

Skeet shooting demands extraordinary hand-eye coordination, anticipation and mental discipline. Targets are released at high speed from different directions, leaving shooters with little time to react. For Mairaj, however, the complexity of the sport eventually became part of his mental strength.

The idea of focusing on one target at a time became more than a shooting technique. It became his approach to life and competition.

Becoming India's first Olympic skeet shooter

Mairaj's greatest breakthroughs came on the international stage. In 2016, he became the first Indian skeet shooter to qualify for the Olympic Games, earning a place at Rio 2016 and creating a new chapter in Indian shotgun shooting. The achievement was significant because Indian shooting's strongest international success had traditionally come from rifle and pistol events.

Mairaj opened the door for skeet shooters to believe that Olympic qualification was possible. He returned to the Olympic stage for Tokyo 2020, which was held in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Two Olympic appearances were the result of years of technical development, physical preparation and an ability to remain mentally composed under pressure.

But Mairaj's impact on Indian skeet extended far beyond Olympic qualification. 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. Then came another historic milestone.

In 2022, Mairaj won India's first individual ISSF World Cup gold medal in men's skeet, proving that even after years at the top level, he remained capable of defeating the world's best shooters.

The 2022 World Cup gold was particularly special because Mairaj had come close to retiring. A difficult period away from competition had tested his commitment to the sport. The death of his father, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of sponsorship support created serious uncertainty about whether he could continue.

“I realised that maybe this is the time to say thank you to the sport,” he recalls. After spending decades competing at the highest level, the idea of stepping away was understandable. But Mairaj was not ready to let go. The competitive instinct remained strong, and he decided to continue by investing his own money into his career.

That decision produced one of the greatest moments in Indian skeet history. Mairaj returned to international competition and won World Cup gold in Korea in 2022. It was a triumph that represented more than a medal. It was proof that setbacks, age and uncertainty had not taken away his ability to compete at the highest level.

For an athlete who had nearly retired, the victory reaffirmed a simple truth: the dream was still alive.

Los Angeles 2028 remains the ultimate target

Mairaj missed out on qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the disappointment has not changed his ambition. Instead, he has shifted his focus towards the next Olympic cycle. “I didn’t qualify for Paris, but I never give up, and I’m focusing more towards LA,” he says.

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“Maybe the ultimate dream comes true in LA only, you never know.” The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will offer Mairaj another opportunity to pursue the one achievement that remains missing from his extraordinary career. But true to his philosophy, he is not allowing the scale of that ambition to change his daily approach.

He is not thinking about Olympic medals while standing on the range. He is thinking about the next target.

With another Asian Games ahead, Mairaj remains equally cautious about making predictions. He refuses to promise a medal because, in shooting, even the finest preparation cannot guarantee a result. “My goal is always one target at a time,” he says.

“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.” That mindset may be the reason his career has endured for so long. At 51, Mairaj Ahmad Khan has already made history as India's first Olympic skeet shooter. He has competed at two Olympic Games, won landmark World Cup medals and delivered one of Indian shotgun shooting's greatest triumphs.

Yet the pursuit continues.

“I will give my best. That’s my ability. That’s my hard work.” After more than 30 years in the sport, Mairaj is still chasing perfection. Not the next ranking. Not the next medal. Not even Los Angeles 2028. Just the next target.

And then the one after that.