KHAN Mairaj Ahmad

General
EYES ON TOKYO
After returning from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he wrote 'Tokyo Olympics Gold' on the window of a hut at the range he practises at in New Delhi, India. He had missed out on a place in the final at the 2016 Games, and wanted to remind himself that his ultimate goal was to become Olympic champion. "It was a 15-hour flight back [from Brazil] and I cried the whole time. I cannot go through that phase again. It took me almost two years to get over that. Whenever I shoot, I see the words. They motivate me and remind me of my target. I don't want to be known as just an Olympian, I want to become an Olympic champion." (newindianexpress.com, 19 Nov 2019; sportstar.thehindu.com, 14 Feb 2019)

CRICKETER
He played cricket at national level when he was younger, captaining the U19 Uttar Pradesh team in India. "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 am a shooter but I am still attached to my first love cricket. I still follow cricket." (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 28 Apr 2020)