"When I arrived in Lucknow, Gaurav Khanna did not ask me to pay any fees whatsoever" - Mandeep Kaur lauds coach in lead-up to Paralympic campaign

Mandeep Kaur, who is fine-tuning her preparations for the Paris Paralympics, recently won a bronze medal in the WS SL3 category at the Four-Nations Para-badminton International Level 1 at Glasgow.

The girl from Uttarakhand, a national champion in arm wrestling before taking up para-badminton, credits coach Gaurav Khanna for enabling her to train in Lucknow and develop her game.

During an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Mandeep Kaur elucidated the qualities that make Gaurav Khanna unique and how the renowned coach dons different avatars on and off the court.

"Gaurav Khanna has all the qualities of an ideal coach. When I first arrived in Lucknow, he did not ask me to pay any fees whatsoever. There are players in the academy from whom he does not collect any fees," Mandeep revealed.

"He dons a different avatar during training as compared to when we meet him off-court. He knows when to be strict and when to engage with players in a friendly way," she further stated.

The 2023 Asian Para Games bronze medalist also highlighted how approachable Gaurav Khanna was, enabling players to share their problems with him.

"We also share our problems with him from time to time but he insists on us finding solutions. It’s not the same in other academies since players do not find coaches approachable in the same manner," Mandeep disclosed.

Coach Gaurav Khanna was equally appreciative of his protege, explaining that her disability is quite high compared to other athletes. He told Sportskeeda that while her leg can sense pain, there is no strength or movement.

Speaking highly of Mandeep's determination, Gaurav Khanna explained that she was the most deceptive player in the world in her category.

"Mandeep's disability is quite high in comparison to other athletes as she has a leg which can sense pain but it has no strength or movement. Hence she needs support for her leg. It's very difficult to customize a prosthetic leg or blade leg as support for her like other athletes," he pointed out.

"Her zeal, grit and determination has helped her be a winner. In addition, she is the most deceptive girl in the world in her category," Gaurav Khanna said.

Sharing the joy of her Paralympic qualification with her family was special for Mandeep who is now working to iron out her flaws ahead of the all-important quadrennial event.

"It is the dream of every para-athlete to qualify for the Paralympics. I got the news of my qualification when I was at home and I could share my joy with my entire family," she dislosed.

"I am aiming to iron out my flaws and work as hard as I can to prepare for the mega event. I really hope to be able to win a medal for the country at the Paris Paralympics," Mandeep Kaur declared.

"It was my aim to be the world champion or world No. 1" - Mandeep Kaur

Mandeep Kaur became the world No.1 in the WS SL3 category last year

Mandeep Kaur, who rose to become the world No. 1 in the WS SL3 category last year, revealed that she had begun to aim high immediately after taking up para-badminton.

She was also inspired by Tokyo Paralympic bronze medalist Manoj Sarkar who assisted her throughout her journey.

"When I took up para-badminton, it was my aim to be the world champion or the World No. 1 someday. Manoj Sarkar was the World No. 1 when I first met him and from then on I had an aim of attempting to become the World No. 1. I felt I had finally realised at least one of my dreams when I achieved the milestone," she recalled.

"At the Asian (Para) Games as well I did manage to clinch a medal and that was a very special feeling for me," Mandeep Kaur added.

Overcoming financial hurdles, Mandeep stuck to the task at hand and reaped the benefits thanks to the support of Manoj Sarkar and Gaurav Khanna.

"I did face financial hurdles initially since badminton is a costly game to play and shuttles used to cost anywhere between 200 and 250 rupees. My uncle helped me out initially. I was also assisted a lot by Manoj Sarkar and Gaurav Sir. I was eventually sponsored by the Welspun Group thanks to Gaurav Sir," she stated.

"Welspun has been supporting me since 2021. It did involve a lot of hard work on my part as well as on the part of Sir. Also, I may not have been able to become the World No. 1 had it not been for Welspun," Mandeep asserted.

Mandeep Kaur delved deep into what it took to maintain her ranking and expressed her gratitude for the support that enabled her to play in international tournaments.

"To achieve and maintain rankings, we need to take part in international tournaments. The reason I am able to participate in international competitions is because of the support provided by Welspun and therefore it would be appropriate to say that without Welspun I may not have become the World No. 1," she affirmed.

Mandeep Kaur, who switched from arm wrestling to para-badminton in the year 2018, has been a multiple-medal winner in both sports.