India’s first ever World Cup medalist, Mairaj Ahmed Khan claimed gold at the 60th National Shooting Championship for shotgun today. (Mairaj Khan Shoots For Glory)
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Mairaj Khan had an amazing game to beat Haryana’s Amrinder Singh Cheema 15-13 in the final round.
In what was one of the most intense six men semi final rounds in recent history, Mairaj qualified after a shootout with Haryana’s Man Singh and Uttar Pradesh’s Md Sheeraz Sheikh.
All three of these shooters were tied on 14 and in the proceeding shootout Mairaj qualified for the gold medal match. (Mairaj Khan Shoots For Glory )
Amrinder was the top scorer from the semi final with 15 and had proceeded straight to the finals. He was the favorite to win the gold if it not had been a super performance from Mairaj Khan.
The bronze medal was won by Haryana’s Man Singh as he beat Uttar Pradesh’s Md Sheeraz Sheikh 15-12 in the 3rd/4th place match. (Mairaj Khan Shoots For Glory )
The junior shotgun round was equally interesting as Haryana’s Arjun Singh Mann had a similar path to gold as Mairaj Khan. The silver medal was bagged by Telengana’s Anantjeet by a score of 15-12 in the final.
Both Haryana and Punjab won their respective golds in the seniors and juniors section. (Mairaj Khan Shoots For Glory )