The double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker’s identify is conspicuously lacking from the checklist of sportspersons nominated for the celebrated Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this 12 months. This sudden snub comes regardless of Bhaker scripting historical past on the 2024 Paris Olympics, turning into the primary Indian feminine shooter to win an Olympic medal by clinching bronze within the girls’s 10m air pistol occasion. She adopted this up with one other bronze within the combined 10m air pistol staff occasion alongside Sarabjot Singh, marking the primary time any Indian has received two medals in a single Olympics since India’s independence.
On Monday, sources near the shooter revealed to IANS that the double-medalist shooter did apply for the Khel Ratna award however wasn’t picked. “Manu Bhaker certainly utilized for Khel Ratna, however surprisingly did not get picked. It’s surprising for all. NRAI has no function in it,” the supply mentioned.
In the meantime, on behalf of NRAI, President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has written a letter to the Sports activities Ministry to think about Manu Bhaker’s case.
Earlier this 12 months, Bhaker discovered herself on the centre of an argument after posting on social media, questioning whether or not she deserved the Khel Ratna Award. The publish drew backlash, with critics deeming it inappropriate, main Bhaker to delete it. Regardless of the controversy, the absence of her identify from the checklist of nominees has sparked widespread disappointment amongst her supporters.
The 22-year-old shooter’s efficiency in Paris was a end result of years of dedication and perseverance, particularly after enduring the heartbreak of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the place a pistol malfunction derailed her marketing campaign. Many had doubted her means to bounce again, however Bhaker silenced her critics with a shocking comeback in Paris.
Her achievements this 12 months weren’t confined to the Olympic podium. Bhaker additionally added to her illustrious file, which already consists of gold medals on the Commonwealth Video games and the Asian Video games. She claimed gold on the 2018 CWG within the girls’s 10m air pistol occasion, setting a Video games file, and triumphed on the 2022 Asian Video games within the girls’s 25m pistol staff occasion.
At simply 16, Bhaker had develop into the youngest Indian shooter to win gold on the ISSF World Cup in 2018, showcasing her prodigious expertise.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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