Gaurav Khanna (badminton)

Gaurav Khanna

Gaurav Khanna is the National head coach of Indian Para-Badminton team
Personal information
Spouse	Mohita Khanna
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Para-badminton
Team	Indian para-badminton team
Now coaching	Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, Chirag Baretha, Sivarajan Solaimalai, Nithya Sre Sivan, Mandeep Kaur, Pramod Bhagat, Rohit Bhaker, Nilesh Gaikwad, Abu Hubaida, Prem Ale, Sukant Kadam, Palak Kohli, Raj Kumar, Parul Parmar, Manoj Sarkar

Shri Gaurav Khanna (born 11 December 1975) is an Indian para-badminton team's head coach. Khanna has been widely recognized as the man behind the rise of para-badminton in the country. Khanna encountered several trials and tribulations during his youth and early life, but his desire propelled him onward, and despite all obstacles, he emerged as a selfless individual driven to make a positive difference in the lives of others. His chronicle of battles that led to him becoming a role model for society is also included in the National Geographic documentary series #One For Change and Samarth Series by Hundai in association with NDTV. ^[1]

Awards and Honours

National Awards

• 2024 - Padma Shri ^{[2] [3]}
• 2020 - Dronacharya Award ^{[4] [5]}

State Awards

• 2024 - LMA Transformation Leadership Award ^[6]
• 2024 - PC Indian Achievers Award
• 2016 - Yashi Bharti Award ^[7]
• 2017 - Guru Gobind Singh Award

Other Awards

• 2020 - TAL Hero Award ^[8]
• 2022 - Stambh Award
• 2021 - Bravery Award
• 2019 - Best Individual Working For the Cause of PWD
• 2018 - Outstanding Services Award
• 2024 - Apporva Samman

He is first Para Sports Coach of the country to be conferred with Padma Shree Award 2024. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]} In 2020, he became the first Para Sports Coach in the country to be honored with Dronacharya Award for his exceptional contribution to para badminton. ^{[18] [19]} He is the first Para Coach from UP to have received the highest civilian honor of the state - “Yash Bharti” from CM of UP Government in the field of badminton. ^{[20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]}

Coaching Career

He established the country's first Para Badminton academy namely, Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy. ^{[26] [27]} The Indian Para Badminton team has won a total of 1021 medals (276 golds, 287 silvers, and 458 bronzes) in BWF-recognized international tournaments since 2015, following his nomination as Head National Coach. These competitions include the Asian Para Games, World Championships, and Tokyo Paralympics. Many of his trainee athletes are among the best in the world and have won the nation's greatest athletic honors.

He has coached Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj ^[28] Abu Hubaida, ^{[29] [30] [31]} Palak Kohli, ^[32] Chirag Baretha, ^[33] and Prem Kumar Ale. ^[34]

Medal Tally of Indian Para Badminton Team

The Indian Para Badminton Team, under guidance and training of Para coach Shri Gaurav Khanna, has won the following medal.

Barhain Para Badminton International 2025

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2025	6	6	11	23

Fazza Dubai Para Badminton International 2025

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2025	1	4	14	19

Spain Para Badminton International 2025 (Toledo)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2025	7	4	10	21

Spain Para Badminton International 2025 (vitoria gasteiz)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2025	7	4	10	21

Egypt Para Badminton International 2025

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2025	14	11	15	40

Barhain Para Badminton International 2024

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	3	7	19	29

Japan Para Badminton International 2024

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	6	9	9	24

Indonesia Para Badminton International 2024

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	6	6	9	21

Paris Paralympic 2024

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	1	2	2	5

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	14	9	25	48

4 Nations Para Badminton International Level 1

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	3	7	4	14

Bahrain Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	4	6	11	21

Spanish Para Badminton International Level 1

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	5	5	7	17

Spanish Para Badminton International Level 2

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	6	6	10	22

Para Badminton World Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	3	4	11	18

Egypt Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2024	7	9	15	31

Dubai Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	1	5	8	14

Japan Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	4	4	10	18

Asian Para Games

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	4	4	13	21

Western Australia Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	5	6	9	20

4th Nations Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	3	5	10	18

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	13	12	17	42

Canada Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	5	5	10	20

Bahrain Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	3	8	12	23

Thailand Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	4	4	8	16

Brazil Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	8	7	13	28

Spanish Para Badminton International(Level 1)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	4	2	4	10

Spanish Para Badminton International(Level 2)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2023	4	7	7	18

Para Badminton World Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	2	2	12	16

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	12	14	16	42

Indonesia Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	0	2	1	3

Thailand Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	4	5	8	17

Ireland Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	2	4	5	11

Canada Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	2	1	6	9

4thFazza Dubai Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	5	5	7	17

Bahrain Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	7	3	13	28

Brazil Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	8	7	13	28

Spanish Para Badminton International (Level 1)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	5	6	9	20

Spanish Para Badminton International (Level 2)

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2022	11	7	16	34

Asian Youth Para Games Bahrain

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2021	4	7	4	15

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2021	16	14	17	47

Tokyo Paralympics

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2021	2	1	1	4

Dubai Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2021	5	6	10	21

Peru Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2020	7	5	3	15

Brazil Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2020	4	5	2	11

Japan Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	2	1	4	7

Denmark Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	2	4	4	10

China Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	2	1	3	6

Thailand Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	3	4	6	13

Para Badminton World Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	3	4	5	12

Irish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	4	3	5	12

Canada Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	3	2	4	9

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	11	8	8	27

Dubai Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	4	3	2	9

Turkish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	3	5	3	11

IWAS world games

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2019	4	3	3	10

Australia Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	2	2	2	6

Denmark Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	3	0	3	6

Asian para games

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	3	0	6	9

Japan Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	1	1	2	4

Brazil Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	1	3	0	4

Thailand Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	2	1	3	6

Irish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	0	1	1	2

Turkish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	1	1	4	6

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	4	3	3	10

Dubai Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	2	5	9	16

Spanish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018	2	1	3	6

Asian Youth Para Games Dubai

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	0	2	1	3

Para Badminton World Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	2	2	6	10

Japan Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	2	3	3	8

USA Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	1	3	1	5

Uganda Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	5	6	4	15

Thailand Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	2	3	2	7

Spanish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	0	0	2	2

Turkish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2017	2	2	0	4

Indonesia Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2016	1	0	2	3

Irish Para Badminton International

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2016	0	2	5	7

Asian Para Badminton Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2016	4	2	7	13

Para Badminton World Championship

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2015	4	3	5	12

GKEBA

The Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy boasts two high-quality mat courts and two wooden courts, providing athletes with the perfect environment to hone their skills and master the game. A fully equipped gym enables athletes to strengthen their bodies and enhance their performance under the guidance of expert trainers. A wellness area, in which Athletes can rejuvenate and recover which includes sauna baths, steam baths, and ice baths, essential for post-training relaxation and muscle recovery. A dedicated physiotherapy room ensures that athletes receive top-notch medical care and rehabilitation services to prevent injuries and optimize their physical well-being.

GKEBA has been awarded with "BEST ACADEMY AWARD" by The Radient Differently Abled Sports Award, 2023. ^{[35] [36] [37] [38]}

The GKEBA is dedicated to differently abled athletes, where all categories of athletes, including Polio affected, hearing impaired, accidental injured, injured army personnel in wheelchairs, dwarfs, neuro damaged athletes, and others, not only practice together for free, but also receive education under the dome of Excellia. These athletes stay in Shri Gaurav Khanna's house in Omaxe City, Lucknow. This residence is also known as the "Drona Paralympic House" among para athletes. ^{[39] [40]}

Professional Life

Shri Khanna has diverse credentials in Badminton. Other than being an established high-performance coach, Shri Khanna is a Qualified International Umpire and Qualified International Referee of Badminton Asia, having travelled throughout the world to officiate and represent the country in over 100 international sporting events. At several national and international multisport events in India and abroad, Shri Khanna has held positions as Competition Director, Competition Manager, Live Scorer, Match Controller, and Technical Official.

Personal Life

It is commonly acknowledged that Shri Gaurav Khanna is the driving force behind the growth of para badminton in the nation. Shri Khanna, who was born on 11 December 1975, went through many hardships in his early years. However, his passion kept him moving forward, and in spite of all of these setbacks, he became a selfless person who was determined to improve the lives of others. The National Geographic documentary series #One For Change tells his account of the struggles that propelled him to become a social role model. He has made a noteworthy contribution to the promotion of sports among the disabled and their advancement from grassroots to the Deaflympics and Paralympics with his versatile talent and outstanding services as a social worker, professional coach, technical official, organizer, and expert.

Shri Khanna has completed his education from KVS, RDSO, Lucknow, received his B.COM degree (1995), Bachelor of Physical Education degree (1996), Diploma in Yoga (1998) from Lucknow University as well as NIS-Badminton (2010) and Master Trainers in Sports and Games for the Disability (2011) from SAI Bangalore and LNIPE, Gwalior respectively.

References

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