Ace Indian shooter and double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker displayed a memorable performance in 2024 when she became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal in shooting. Bhaker also joined the likes of Olympians such as PV Sindhu, and Yogeshwar Dutt, to have won more than one Olympic medal. Manu also received the opportunity to become India’s flag bearer at the Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony.
While Manu Bhaker had done everything which could have earned her a Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. Bhaker’s achievements in Paris weren’t only her personal milestones but at the age of just 22, a gift for the kind of patience and resistance she has shown towards the sport. However, despite doing so much, she got snubbed from the final nominee list of players to receive the Khel Ratna Award.
Manu Bhaker’s father Ram Kishan, expressed his disappointment after Manu Bhaker wasn’t included in the Khel Ratna Award nominees list. He stated that Manu would have received a Khel Ratna Award if she would have been a cricketer. He said while speaking to media, “What else do you expect my child to do for the country? She has won two Olympic medals in a single edition. Yet, she is ignored. I regret putting her into shooting; perhaps she should have been a cricketer.”
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Why Was Manu Bhaker Excluded From Khel Ratna Award Nominee List?
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs defended the decision after the rising row, and stated that Manu Bhaker had to apply for the Khel Ratna Award from the government’s portal, which she didn’t. However, Manu’s family provided all the proofs regarding her application for India’s highest recognition sporting recognition award. Now, there have been reports coming up that the Sports Ministry is reevaluating all the applications and there is a sign of hope that Manu Bhaker may receive the Khel Ratna Award.
