Amid Khel Ratna controversy, double Olympic bronze-medallist Manu Bhaker reacts, acknowledges lapse in nomination process

"With regards to the ongoing issue for my nomination for the most prestigious Khel Ratna award—I would like to state that as an athlete, my role is to play and perform for my country," Bhaker wrote on X.

The 22-year-old emphasised that while awards motivate her, they are not her ultimate goal.

"Irrespective of the award, I shall remain motivated to win more medals for my country. It is a request to everyone, please do not speculate on this," she added.

Criticism from coach and family

The omission sparked criticism from her coach Jaspal Rana and her father, Ramkishan Bhaker, who expressed their disappointment with the sports ministry and the selection committee.

Her father told the Times of India, "I regret putting her in the sport of shooting. I should have instead made her a cricketer. Then, all the awards and accolades would have come her way."

He also revealed Manu's disheartened reaction, "She told me, 'I shouldn't have gone to the Olympics and won medals for the country. In fact, I shouldn't have become a sportsperson.'"

Record-breaking Olympic achievements

Manu made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Games. She secured bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual event and the 10m air pistol mixed team competition with partner Sarabjot Singh.

Despite these accomplishments, her name was not included in the 30-person shortlist for the Khel Ratna award.

Conflicting claims over nomination

Manu reportedly submitted her nomination via the online portal, but discrepancies arose. While the sports ministry stated that no nomination was received, sources confirmed ongoing discussions between the ministry and the federation to resolve the matter.

"Manu said she had applied on the portal. If that was the case, then the committee must have considered her name. Whatever the situation, the federation has approached the ministry and requested the officials to include her name," a source said, according to the reports.

Applications for civilian awards

Manu has also applied for the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards. These applications were reportedly submitted on the Padma awards portal on September 15, 2024.

However, Manu remains focused on her sporting journey, committed to winning more accolades for India despite the ongoing controversy.