Mumbai: First professional para badminton academy set to open

From the time Gaurav Khanna 44 took over the role of chief coach of the Indian para badminton team in 2015 he has been pulling all stops to bring his athletes on a level playing field ldquoI have wanted to provide a common platform for them to train which is why I would invite them to Lucknow where we would practice at Guru Govind Singh Sports College There was a dire need for it equal opportunities But even to train at the college we needed a slew of permissionsrdquo says the Dronacharya awardeePalak Kohli became the worldrsquos youngest para badminton player to qualify for the Tokyo ParalympicsHis job will be a little easier now India is set to see the opening of its first para badminton academy in Lucknow next month The fully equipped facility eponymously titled Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy GKBA has professional players from across the country including Maharashtra and Punjab on its roster It is Indiarsquos first professional academy dedicated to the sport and is said to be on par with international standards Asheesh Pathak owner Excellia School offered the space in the school premises for players to train The auditorium was renovated to create the facility ldquoThis idea has been brewing in my mind for a decade It took root when I was head coach of the deaf badminton team Despite their disability they showcased astounding talent and zeal and it was important that we harness itrdquo Khanna says every para badminton player who enters the sport invariably nurtures the dream of representing India at elite level badminton tournaments like Asian Games and the Olympics The academy will provide experienced coaches and master trainers many of whom have cleared a disability sports course from the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education Gwalior ldquoEvery academy is designed for ablebodied players and para players somehow get accommodated thereBut here we wish to give first priority to para athletesrdquoHe says that they will also put a cap on the number of players being admitted as they only want committed athletes to enrol Since itrsquos an advanced training academy it will also touch on aspects such as medical science sports psychology and physiotherapyFor years Khanna was on the lookout for sponsors who could fund his dream of an academy ldquoThose who invest naturally expect returns I vigorously searched but unfortunately I couldnrsquot find any takers for para athletes The Excellia School founders were a godsend and are happy to offer their premises and infrastructurerdquoNilesh Gaikwad from Aurangabad with a world ranking of 25 is one of the players to enrol at the academy Born to a family of farmers Gaikwad lives with polio ldquoWe are staying in a rented accommodation close to the academy and our training is quite intense It will get even more rigorous once the coaching starts full throttlerdquo he saysTrained under Khanna Gaikwad has a number of medals to his name He won the gold singles and bronze mixed doubles at the Uganda Para Badminton International 2017 and the silver medal at the Asian Youth Para Games Dubai 2017 He is currently training for the Tokyo Olympics Some players are also being supported by GoSports Foundation Olympic Gold Quest and Welspun FoundationPalak Kohli an 18yearold para athlete from Punjab has been living in Lucknow since before the lockdown ldquoBecause indoors was considered dangerous initially we used to train outdoors and it was a whole new experience because suddenly yoursquod have to battle the vagaries of weather and uneven ground It just made us strongerrdquo she says According to Kohli the advanced training will build confidence for when the athletes compete at the international arena ldquoBeating players from China Japan and Indonesia requires nextlevel skill because those players have been training since they were kidsrdquoKhanna is optimistic about the road ahead ldquoI donrsquot see my students as differently abled and neither do they Their training is at par with ablebodied playersrdquoKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news