PUNE: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has finally managed to get skeet shooter Mairaj Khan take his jab, just 17 days ahead of his departure to Tokyo. It is learnt that the NRAI is miffed with the shooter as he made the otherwise easy task difficult for the federation and the Sports Authority of India.
Mairaj was the only shooter who didn't take even a single dose of vaccine, while another skeet shooter Angad Bajwa had taken one does of Covishield in India.
Mairaj had contracted the virus in April but was eligible for the jab in June. Mairaj and Angad are training in Montecatini in Italy, and the rifle and pistol squad is training in Zagreb, Croatia.
While the rifle and pistol shooters were getting vaccinated in Zagreb, Mairaj didn't join them despite being told by the federation and waited to get his jab done in Italy. Since time was running out and Mairaj risked remaining unvaccinated ahead of the Games, the NRAI managed to get hold of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson for the shooter, which was administered to him on Thursday in Zagreb.
"He was already informed that the Italian government is not allowing foreigners to get vaccinated and it would be better if he joined the squad in Zagreb and participated in the Osijek World Cup in Croatia (June 22 to 29). However, he preferred not to participate in the WC and train in Italy as per his coach Ennio Falco's advice. It left him with a little time to get two doses. He is lucky to have got the single-shot vaccine, as he didn't have time for the second dose before leaving for Tokyo," an official from NRAI told TOI.
The NRAI on June 28 offered the shooters air tickets from Montecatini to Zagreb, however, Mairaj and Angad preferred to travel 1,000 kms by road. "They could have taken the flight or even train as that would have saved their time. But they preferred a road trip," the source added.
