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Mairaj Ahmad Khan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth2 November 1975

Age45 Years (as of 2020)

BirthplaceKhurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionShotgun Skeet Shooter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseZarah Ali Khan

FamilyFather - Late Ilyas Ahmed Khan; Mother - Farrukh Ilyas; Siblings - Najam Khan, Siraj Khan, Farheen Ilyas Khan

Mairaj Ahmad Khan Biography

Mairaj Ahmad Khan is an Indian shotgun skeet specialist from Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. A national and international medallist, he represented his

Early life and background

Mairaj Ahmad Khan was born on 2 November 1975 in Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. Raised in a family with a shooting background, his father, the late Ilyas Ahmed Khan, was a state-level trap shooter and businessman. Khan attended Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi and completed postgraduate studies. He grew up with a love for sport—initially cricket—and later turned his focus to shooting, a passion nurtured by time spent with his father at shooting ranges.

Career

Khan began professional shooting training in 1998. He made his international debut at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy, in 2003 and has trained under coaches including Andrea Benelli and Sunny Thomas. Competing in skeet events (SK125, SKMIX and SKTEAMM), he shoots right-handed and is affiliated with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

Over a long career he has collected numerous national and international medals. Nationally, Khan has won titles at the National Shooting Championship Competition in several years and captured medals at National Games and All India championships. International highlights include medals at the Singapore Open, the Commonwealth Shooting Championship in New Delhi, and multiple podium finishes at Asian and ISSF events.

A landmark moment came in 2015 when he became the first Indian to qualify in the shotgun skeet event in Lonato, Italy. The following year he earned a silver medal at the 2016 ISSF World Cup and secured India’s quota place for the Rio 2016 Olympics in the skeet discipline. At Rio he represented India in SK125 and was the first Indian to reach the Olympics in that skeet event. He continued to perform at top level, winning team and individual medals in World Cup and Asian Championship competitions in later years, including podiums in 2016, 2019 and 2021.

Khan has expressed a desire to give back to the sport by training young shooters through his NGO, MAK Shooting Foundation. He has also worked on an autobiography titled Hard Target (as of 2021).

Public profile

Physically, Khan stands about 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) tall and has brown eyes and black hair. He competes with the support of coaches and Italian-made equipment and has often spoken about his fondness for Italy, a country he has visited frequently since 2003.

He draws inspiration from athletes outside his sport, citing Roger Federer as a role model for longevity and composure under pressure. Khan has offered advice to aspiring shooters that centers on passion, process and perseverance, and has emphasized the importance of quality gear.

Personal life

Khan is married to Zarah Ali Khan, who works in aviation. His immediate family includes his mother Farrukh Ilyas and siblings Najam Khan, Siraj Khan and sister Farheen Ilyas Khan; Najam was also a former state-level shooter and is noted as a businessman. Khan’s early sporting interests included cricket; he played at university level and took part in domestic youth tournaments before committing full-time to shooting.

Controversies and challenges

In 2012 Khan faced accusations related to an alleged poaching incident. He denied the claims, stating that photographs circulated were morphed and that he was not in India at the time. He has described the episode as disruptive to his Olympic ambitions; he reported that related legal cases were later dismissed for lack of evidence.

Latest updates

Khan continued competing through the late 2010s and into the early 2020s, adding team and individual medals to his record, including medals at ISSF World Cup events in 2021 while competing in skeet team events. During training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics he received a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Italy in 2021, after requesting assistance from the Indian Embassy in Rome.

He remains active in competition, training, and mentoring younger shooters while preparing material for his autobiography and pursuing work with his shooting foundation.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Mairaj Ahmad Khan, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Gold Medal — ISSF World Cup (Skeet Team Men)

Won gold in the Skeet Team Men event at the ISSF World Cup held in New Delhi, India.

2021
Bronze Medal — ISSF World Cup (Skeet Team Men)

Part of the team that won bronze in the Skeet Team Men event at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo.

2021
Silver Medal — Asian Championship

Won a silver medal at the Asian Championship held in Doha, Qatar.

2019
Silver Medal — ISSF World Cup (Rio de Janeiro)

Secured a silver medal at the 2016 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro and earned an Olympic quota for Rio 2016.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. First Indian to qualify for the shotgun skeet event in Lonato, Italy (2015)
  2. Represented India in skeet at the Rio 2016 Olympics
  3. Multiple national titles and medals across National Shooting Championship Competitions and National Games
  4. Medalled at ISSF World Cups, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Shooting Championship and Singapore Open
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mairaj Ahmad Khan born?

Mairaj Ahmad Khan was born on 2 November 1975.

What is Mairaj Ahmad Khan known for?

Mairaj Ahmad Khan is known for shotgun Skeet Shooter.

What is Mairaj Ahmad Khan’s marital status?

Mairaj Ahmad Khan's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Mairaj Ahmad Khan married to?

Mairaj Ahmad Khan is publicly listed as married to Zarah Ali Khan.