Rocky View Badminton Academy’s head coach Rishav Sharma has returned from the 2025 Peru Para Badminton International with a silver medal in the men’s doubles. Partnering with Joshua Huang of the United States in the SU5 category, Sharma advanced to the final before falling to a pair from India.
“It was a very competitive tournament,” Sharma said. “We had strong players from Japan, Brazil, India and Spain. Making it to the final was a great experience.”
Sharma, who competes in the SU5 category, is now ranked 13th in the world in his category. He's now aiming for a spot on Team Canada for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. His next challenge will be the Pan Am Para Badminton Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, this October.
“This is my first opportunity to officially compete for Canada,” he said. “I’m hoping to play both singles and doubles at Pan Ams, and eventually the Paralympics.”
Unable to compete internationally in 2023, he returned to the scene last year and won bronze with Huang at his third competition in Japan, at the Japan International Para Badminton Championship.
The cost of competing internationally is high, and he's seeking sponsorships to help offset the cost.
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Back home, Sharma continues to develop the sport locally through the Rocky View Badminton Academy, offering summer and fall camps in Cochrane and Airdrie. Interest in the program has surged, with classes now running two days a week to accommodate growing waiting lists.
“Badminton is really taking off here,” Sharma said. “We had about 24 kids in Cochrane and 35 in Airdrie for summer camps.”
The upcoming fall sessions, running Sept. 1 to Dec. 1 in Cochrane, are sold out except for a few spots in the 9-11 age category. There is already a waiting list for older youth.
Sharma balances coaching, a full-time job with the Town of Cochrane, and an intensive training schedule. Despite a packed calendar, he says competing internationally keeps him motivated.
“It’s challenging, but I love it. I train whenever I have downtime and compete whenever I get the opportunity,” he said.
While time has been short this year, he flies to Fort St. John to assist youth at an academy he created in 2019. He started with eight students and now has nearly 50.
For more information on the badminton academy, visit Facebook.