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]
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]
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.
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]
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.
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.
