Virender Sehwag's former batting partner Mairaj Khan aims for Olympic glory

NEW DELHI: Mairaj Ahmed Khan’s journey from the 22-yard strip in cricket to shooting down target clay birds in skeet shooting is an extremely fascinating one. Mairaj at one time played alongside former Indian swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag.
Mairaj, a former left-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler for Uttar Pradesh decided to switch to shooting and his life now revolves around his shotgun, cartridges and those clay targets.Mairaj, who represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is now, like countless other athletes across the world eyeing glory at the Tokyo Games. He wants to be the first Olympic gold medallist in shotgun for the country.
But before he decided to pick up the shotgun, Mairaj led his state Uttar Pradesh in the Under-16 (Vinoo Mankad) and Under-19 (CK Nayudu) cricket tournaments.
In an exclusive interview with the Timesofindia.com, Mairaj took a walk down memory lane and recalled his cricketing journey, batting alongside Sehwag and what made him leave cricket for shooting.
SEHWAG’S ONSLAUGHTS
It was the year 1996, when a young left-handed Mairaj came to the crease to join Sehwag in the middle during their inter-university match. They were both representing Jamia Millia Islamia University. The two fist-pumped and Mairaj went to the non-striker's end.

A young Sehwag, in typical style, began his onslaught from the word go and helped Jamia win the match.
“It was an inter-university match in Jalandhar (Punjab) in 1996. Sehwag and I were playing for Jamia University against Punjab University. He came on as an opener and I came in at number 3. He scored a blistering 74 runs off just 38 or 39 balls in that match. I got out on 19. We won that match," Mairaj recalled, while talking to TimesofIndia.com.
“Sehwag was a fearless batsman from the beginning. He never hesitated to hit any bowler out of the park. We all knew he would go on and play for India. He had an in-born talent. He never feared getting out and I think he is the most natural player I have ever seen. I have seen many players (international) but his hand eye coordination is amazing. Give him the bat and ask anyone to bowl, that's it, he will do the rest," Mairaj said.
MAIRAJ, THE CRICKETER
Mairaj was very young when he was introduced to cricket. With his hard-hitting batting style, Mairaj soon became a vital cog in the Uttar Pradesh junior side's wheel. His match-winning knocks were rewarded with the UP’s junior team’s captaincy as well. Just like every budding cricketer, Mairaj too wanted to represent India some day.
“I was the captain of the CK Nayudu team for Uttar Pradesh and also Vinoo Mankad. I played Under-16, which is Vinoo Mankad and Under-19 which is CK Nayudu. I played with and against the players like Mohammad Saif (Mohammad Kaif's brother), Rizwan Shamshad, Feroze Ghayas, Rishikesh Kanitkar, Vijay Dahiya, Vijay Yadav,” Mairaj said.
“I am a shooter but I am still attached to my first love cricket. I still follow cricket,” the 44-year-old said.
THE CHANGE: FROM CRICKET TO SHOOTING
Just like every other budding cricketer in the country, Mairaj also wanted to wear the Team India jersey some day.
“My ultimate goal was to represent my country. I wanted India to be written on my jersey. I was desperate to see the Indian flag on my jersey. That’s all. This was my dream from day one of playing cricket,” the Indian shooter told TimesofIndia.com.
“When I found that reaching the international level and representing India was difficult, then I thought of a second option. There was huge competition. Many were ahead of me and much much more talented than me. They deserved more chances than me. Because by 27 or 28, if you don’t make it to the Ranji team, things become difficult for you,” he said.

“Till 2003, I tried a lot and played a number of leagues, but things didn’t work out. One fine day, I went to visit a range with one of my cousins. I met Mansher Singh, Raja Randhir Singh and many more. My cousin introduced them to me by saying he is an Olympian, Asian Games medallist, Commonwealth Games medallist, etc. The meeting with those shooting legends really fascinated me. I saw the Indian flag on their jerseys. That's all I wanted. I decided I will shoot now. For the first three or four years, I shot for fun and then took it up as a permanent career,” Mairaj, who has one World Cup medal, 4 Asian Championships medals and more than 20 National Championships medals, said.
“Because of cricket my reflexes, concentration level and physical fitness were really good. My coaches didn’t have to work much on those areas. I started making shooting my passion. I was 24 at that time. I still remember, I shot 112 in a national competition and then I got a call from the NRAI that I have been called for the selection trial for the Indian team. When I read the words - Indian team, I was really elated. It was a dream come true for me. There has been no looking back since then. My major competition was the 2006 Asian Games,” the 44-year-old shooter said.
RIO NOW IN THE PAST, MAIRAJ EYES TOKYO GLORY
Mairaj was part of the Indian shooting squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Mairaj, who had won the quota after winning a World Cup silver in Rio in April 2016, failed to make it to the finals round of the skeet event.
But, the 44-year-old, who has qualified for the Tokyo Games is confident that his Rio experience will be an added advantage at the next edition of the Olympics, which is now scheduled for 2021.

“Whenever you participate in a major or small competition, you always learn something. Whatever I learnt from Rio, it's going to help me a lot in Tokyo. My main target will be to give my best in the qualification so that I can enter the final. There will be 6 shooters who will be competing in the final. That means your winning percentage will come to 50 percent as 6 shooters will fight for three medals. I am also in regular touch with my coach and planning accordingly. This lockdown has given me more time to prepare. I am focussing both on my physical training and mental training," a confident Mairaj told TimesofIndia.com.
“I have been taking it one step at a time. I have been focussing on ‘per station per target’ rule. This has helped me a lot. I am much stronger than Rio right now. I have added four more years of experience after Rio to my resume. I am sure Tokyo will be a good Olympics for me. The main opponent for Mairaj is Mairaj Ahmed Khan. I will be competing with myself. I have to defeat my own best score at the Olympics,” he said.
TARGET IS TO BE AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION, NOT JUST AN OLYMPIAN
Mairaj doesn’t want to be called an Olympian when he retires. He wants to be remembered as an Olympic champion. And that means bagging the top honours. So far, Abhinav Bindra is the only individual Olympic gold medallist from India.

“Everybody goes with only one aim, that is to win an Olympic medal. I will also go with the same aim. Every country will send their athletes to win an Olympic medal. My country will also send Mairaj Khan to win an Olympic medal. I will try my best to bring Olympic gold for my country. This is my dream, goal and passion to win an Olympic gold medal for my country. I want to become the first Indian to be an individual Olympic gold medallist in shotgun,” a confident Mairaj said.
“There are many Olympians in our country but there is only one who is an (individual) Olympic champion. I want people and fans to call me an Olympic champion not an Olympian. They should remember me forever,” Mairaj signed off.