Anilkumar Raju’s Coaching Path Builds Indian Badminton Talent

Former India international Anilkumar Raju Mandiraju has carried his experience from the badminton court into a coaching career that now spans senior, junior and para-badminton athletes. His latest notable result came at the YONEX-SUNRISE KBA Diamond Jubilee India International Challenge 2026, where women’s doubles pair Ashwini Bhat K. and Shikha Gautam finished runners-up.

Raju’s journey matters because it links experience at national and international level with player development across multiple stages of the sport. From junior prospects beginning their competitive careers to established senior players and para-badminton competitors, his work has included athletes pursuing rankings, medals and national titles.

From international player to coach

Raju’s own competitive career began with junior-level opportunities, including representing India at the Asian Junior Championships in Malaysia in 2007. He also recorded podium finishes at national junior events, finishing runner-up at the 32nd Junior National Badminton Championship in Nellore and the Krishna Khaitan Memorial All India Junior Badminton Tournament in Chennai. In the same year, he won the 6th All India Union Bank Junior Ranking Tournament in Bengaluru.

In senior badminton, Raju partnered Venkat Gaurav Prasad in men’s doubles and reached a career-best BWF world ranking of 76 in January 2017. His domestic credentials also included an India senior ranking of No. 4, while his junior ranking reached No. 1.

His international results included a runner-up finish at the Bangladesh International Challenge in 2016 and third place at the Nepal International Series that year. He reached the quarter-finals of the India International Series in 2017 and made appearances at the Singapore Open, India Open, Australian Open and Thailand Open Super Series. On the national circuit, he was runner-up at the 75th Senior National Badminton Team Championships and the All India Senior Ranking Tournament in Bareilly, while also winning the Central Zone Badminton Team Championships.

Those experiences formed the base for his move into coaching, with the focus shifting from his own results to preparing athletes for the demands of national and international competition.

Results across senior, junior and para-badminton

Raju’s coaching work has included para-badminton player Arati Patil, who achieved a career-best world ranking of seventh in women’s singles SU5 during his coaching engagement with her in 2022. In senior women’s doubles, he has worked with Bhat and Gautam, whose achievements include becoming Senior National Champions in the 2024-25 season and reaching a career-best world ranking of 33.

The pair added another significant result at the KBA Diamond Jubilee India International Challenge 2026 in Bengaluru, held from October 27 to November 1. They opened with a Round of 32 win over Aradhana Balachandra and Taarini Suri, then beat Deepta Sathish and Karnika Srees in straight games in the Round of 16. Victories over Aditi Bhatt and Shravani Walekar in the quarter-finals and Neysa Cariappa A. and Pravandhika Raghavan in the semi-finals took them to the title match.

In the final, Bhat and Gautam faced Mei Sudo and Mai Tanabe of Japan. After losing the first game, the Indian pair levelled the contest before falling 21-13, 13-21, 21-19 in the decider to claim silver.

Raju has also worked with junior players Pavan Suresh and Punit Suresh, who won their first international gold medal in boys’ doubles at the Yonex-Sunrise India Junior International Grand Prix 2026 and reached India No. 4. Punit Suresh and Deepak Raj Aditi won mixed-doubles silver at the same event and reached India No. 5.

A structured approach to future development

Alongside his playing and coaching record, Raju is an Olympic Gold Quest Certified Coach and has completed the online component of the Badminton World Federation Coach Education Level 1 programme. His listed qualifications also include the BWF Shuttle Time Course, the BWF National Administrators Course and recognition through the US Center for SafeSport.

With coaching assignments across competitive levels, Raju’s path reflects a continued role in helping players prepare for the standards and pressures of badminton’s national and international circuits.