Rahul Kumar Yadav
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National team |  India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Rahul Kumar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Fatehabad, Haryana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupations | Karate athlete and coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Karate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | Kata, Kumite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rahul Kumar Yadav, known professionally as Rahul Kumar, is an Indian karate athlete and coach. He won gold at the Indo-Bhutan Karate Championship in 2009, the ISKA Australian Open in 2016, and the Canada Open in 2017 and 2018. He won silver at the ISKA Australian Open in 2015 and bronze at the International Turkish Open in 2019. In 2011, he represented India at the World Karate Federation's World Cadet, Junior and U21 Karate Championships in Malaysia and at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban, South Africa, in 2018.
Early life
Yadav is from Fatehabad, Haryana. He was trained and coached by Rajnesh Chaudhary. He began competing in 1999 at an inter-school karate championship.
Career
In 2006, Yadav won gold at the Tenshinkan National Karate Championship in Nainital, organised by the Tenshinkan Karate-Do Federation India. He won gold in kumite at the National Karate Championships in 2009, 2013 and 2015, organised by the All India Dhammika Kai Karate-Do Federation. In 2016, he won gold in kumite at the Kotaka Cup in New Delhi, organised by the International Karate Federation. He won gold at the 13th All India Independence Cup Karate Championship in New Delhi in 2017. In 2018, he won gold in senior men's kumite above 84 kg at the 10th National Karate Championship in Goa.
Yadav won gold in the 60–65 kg category at the Afro-Asian Karate Championship held in Haryana in 2007. He also won gold in kata at the Indo-Bhutan Karate Championship in Thimphu in 2009. In the same year, he won a silver medal in karate at the Asian Championship Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. He won a silver medal in kumite at the 16th International High School Karate and Kick Boxing Championship in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2010. In 2011, he competed in the Under-21 men's −78 kg kumite category at the World Karate Federation's 7th World Cadet, Junior and U21 Karate Championships in Malacca, Malaysia.
Yadav won gold in the individual kumite event at the 2013 SSKI Asia Cup Karate Championship in Delhi. In 2015, he competed at the ISKA Australian Open in Sydney, where he won a silver medal in kumite after securing three wins to reach the final. He returned to the competition in 2016 and won gold.
In 2017, he represented India at the World Karate Federation Karate 1 Premier League in Dubai. In 2017, he secured first place in the senior men's category at the 3rd International Karate Championship in Thimphu, Bhutan. He also won gold in men's kata at the Canada Open Karate Championships that year and retained the title in 2018 in Vancouver, Canada.
In 2018, Yadav was selected to compete at the 9th Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban, South Africa, organised by the Commonwealth Karate Federation.
In 2019, he won a bronze medal in the senior men's kata category at the International Turkish Open Karate Tournament, organised by the Turkish Karate Federation and held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 27 to 29 September. In 2020, he won another bronze medal in men's kata at the 33rd International Bosphorus Karate Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.
Rankings and Dan grades
He was ranked 98th in the World Karate Federation rankings in 2014. As of 2026, he was ranked 102nd in the World Karate Federation's all-time rankings for the under-21 men's kumite −78 kg category.
He attained a Black Belt fourth Dan from the Karate India Organisation in 2021 and a Black Belt third Dan (Sandan) from the USA National Karate Federation (USA Karate) in 2026. He was awarded the 5th dan rank in karate by the All India Karate-Do Federation in 2014.
Coaching and officiating
He served as chief coach of the district karate team of the Karate Association of Fatehabad.
In November 2013, he served as team manager of the Indian team at the 8th World Cadet, Junior and U21 Karate Championships in Guadalajara, Spain, followed by the 8th Commonwealth Karate Championship in New Delhi in September 2015.
Since 2026, he has worked as a referee and judge with the USA National Karate Federation, as a coach and official with the Amateur Athletic Union, and as an official with the International Karate Federation. In 2026, he officiated at the USA Karate National Championship in Spokane, Washington, and at a karate competition in Sacramento, California.
Achievements
- International
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing India | |||||
| 2009 | Indo-Bhutan Karate Championship | Thimphu, Bhutan |  Gold |
Kata | Dhammika Karate-Do Kai Kan Bhutan |
| 2010 | 16th International High School Karate and Kick Boxing Championship | Kathmandu, Nepal |  Silver |
Kumite | Ministry of Youth and Sports / National Sports Council |
| Gopal Singh Memorial Official Karate Championship | Nepal | Gold |
Kumite | Nepal Karate Federation | |
| 2013 | 3rd SSKI Asia Cup Karate Championship | Delhi, India | Gold |
Individual kumite | Shito-Ryu Seiko-Kai Karate-Do India |
| 2015 | ISKA Australian Open | Sydney, Australia | Silver |
Kumite | International Sport Karate Association |
| 2016 | ISKA Australian Open | Sydney, Australia | Gold |
Kata | International Sport Karate Association |
| 2017 | 3rd International Karate Championship | Thimphu, Bhutan | Gold |
Senior men's category | Bhutan Karate Association |
| 2017 | Canada Open Karate Championship | Vancouver, Canada | Gold |
Kata | Karate Canada / Karate BC |
| 2018 | Canada Open Karate Championship | Vancouver, Canada | Gold |
Kata | Karate Canada / Karate BC |
| 2019 | International Turkish Open | Turkey |  Bronze |
Kata | Turkish Karate Federation |
| 2020 | 33rd International Bosphorus Karate Cup | Istanbul, Turkey | 4th | Kata | Turkish Karate Federation |
- National
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Haryana | |||||
| 2006 | Tenshinkan National Karate Championship | Nainital | 1st | Kata | Tenshinkan Karate-Do Federation India |
| 2007 | National Karate Championship | Malerkotla | 2nd | Kata, Kumite | Indian Amateur Karate-Do Association |
| 2007 | All India Invitational Karate Championship | Mussoorie | 3rd | Kata | Shito-Ryu Karate School of India |
| All India Invitational Karate Championship | Mussoorie | 3rd | Kumite | Shito-Ryu Karate School of India | |
| 2009 | National Karate Championship | Jhajjar | 1st | Kumite | All India Dhammika Kai Karate-Do Federation |
| 2013 | National Karate Championship | Bahadurgarh | 1st | Kumite | All India Dhammika Kai Karate-Do Federation |
| 2015 | National Karate Championship | Gandhinagar | 1st | Kumite | All India Dhammika Kai Karate-Do Federation |
| 2016 | Kotaka Cup | New Delhi | 1st | Kumite | International Karate Federation |
Personal life
Yadav moved to the United States and lives in California. He is married to Manita Yadav.
See also
References
- ↑ Garg, Madan Lal (25 September 2026). "फतेहाबाद की गलियों से अमेरिका तक पहुंचा कराटे का सफर, राहुल यादव अब अंतरराष्ट्रीय निर्णायक" (in Hindi). Dainik Tribune.
- ↑ "भारतीय टीम में खेलेगा राहुल". Hari Bhoomi (in Hindi). Sirsa-Fatehabad. 22 October 2015. p. 10.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Rahul Kumar Yadav bags bronze at Turkish Open". The Hans India. 30 September 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rahul Kumar Yadav: A Karate career of grit and reinvention". The Bridge. 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kumar, Yogesh (1 October 2026). "फतेहाबाद के राहुल यादव ने कराटे में रचा इतिहास: अब अमेरिका में रेफरी, 206 देशों के खिलाड़ियों में टॉप-100 में बनाई जगह". Dainik Bhaskar.
- ↑ "Commonwealth Games में फतेहाबाद के राहुल का हुआ भारतीय टीम में चयन" (in Hindi). Punjab Kesari. 27 November 2018.
- ↑ "गणतंत्र दिवस : इस बार भी अपनों में ही बांट दिए पुरस्कार". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 28 January 2016.
- ↑ "राहुल ने बढ़ाया जिले का मान". Aaj Samaj. Hisar. 9 February 2012. p. 6.
- ↑ "सिडनी में चमका फतेहाबाद का सितारा". Amar Ujala. 28 October 2015.
- ↑ "राहुल ने कराटे चैंपियनशिप में जीता स्वर्ण पदक". Dainik Jagran. 13 June 2018.
- ↑ "फतेहाबाद के राहुल का कराटे कॉमनवेल्थ गेम्स में हुआ चयन". News18. 27 November 2018.
- ↑ "राहुल ने तुर्की में जीता कांस्य पदक". Hari Bhoomi. 8 January 2020.
- ↑ "रीयल हीरो ऑफ फतेहाबाद: देश का इकलौता कराटे खिलाड़ी है राहुल यादव". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 5 March 2014.
- ↑ Nidhi (2026). "फतेहाबाद से अमेरिका तक राहुल यादव का सफर: कराटे खिलाड़ी से बने इंटरनेशनल निर्णायक, वर्ल्ड रैंकिंग में 98वां स्थान" (in Hindi). Hari Bhoomi.
- ↑ "राहुल यादव दुनिया के शीर्ष 100 में शामिल". AM PM News (in Hindi). 26 March 2014.
- ↑ "WKF Ranking: Under 21 Kumite Male −78 kg". Sportdata.
- ↑ "Dan Certification Recipients". USA Karate. 2026.
- ↑ "अवतार सिंह मोंगा प्रधान व राहुल यादव सचिव बने". Sandhya Dainik Janadesh. 23 May 2015.
- ↑ "कराटे में जिले के 13 खिलाड़ियों ने झटके पदक". Dainik Jagran. 17 December 2014.
- ↑ "8वीं कॉमनवेल्थ कराटे चैंपियनशिप का आयोजन". Punjab Kesari (in Hindi). Fatehabad. 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "July 2026 Referee Update". USA Karate. 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Officials Listing". USA Karate.