Lucknow: India’s para badminton coach Gaurav Khanna has set a target of 10 medals from the next Paralympic Games in Paris.
“we have drawn out a holistic plan to build on our recent successes with the aim of making India a true world force in para badminton,” Gaurav Khanna said in a press conference.
“I vow today that we will come back with at least 10 medals from the 2024 edition of the Games. We have been winning medals at every event, including in World Championships. But our success in Tokyo, where we won an unprecedented four medals, including two gold, one silver and one bronze, has changed everything,” said the coach after felicitating Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Manoj Sarkar and several young stars of the Ageas Federal Life Insurance ‘Quest for Fearless Shuttlers’ initiative.
Gaurav Khanna, a Dronacharya Awardee, had launched the country’s first para badminton academy to mould the current crop of shuttlers. Indian youngsters had created waves earlier this month, grabbing as many as 54 medals (16 gold, 13 silver and 25 bronze) in the Spain Para Badminton International (Level 1 & 2 competitions).
As many as seven specially-abled players, including Abu Hubaida, Prem Kumar Ale, Chirag Baretha, Nithya Sre, Nilesh Gaikwad, Hardik Makkar and Mandeep Kaur, all part of the AFLI initiative, were also felicitated on the occasion.
(IANS)
