The most unusual news of the week was when double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was left out of the shortlist for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and the man himself, Ram Kishan Bhaker, did not hide his displeasure. Sources from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) also clarified that no official list of the National Sports Awards has been finalised so far; none has been excluded at this stage.
An MYAS official however tried to put this non finalised list confusion to rest saying, ‘There’s no list yet finalised for the national sports awards, so there is no point in excluding anyone.’ In response, Ram Kishan Bhaker made a video blasting Manu’s omission, following her incredible achievements in shooting. He said that many ex athletes had tried involving themselves in the omission, but were told that you were only eligible if you applied for the award.
Ram Kishan also suggests that the committee that decides such prestigious awards should have sports legends like PT Usha, Abhinav Bindra, Anjum Gopi George and Anjali Bhagwat have a vast knowledge about sports so that such decisions can be made by them. He noted Manu had ‘done great feats, the whole country is proud of her accomplishments’.
Indian shooting finds trailblazer in Manu Bhaker’s career. In her first Olympic appearance, marked by a ferocious air pistol fight in the women’s 10m event, India’s history changed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Bhaker becoming the first woman shooter from the country to win an Olympic medal and claim third place in the women’s 10m air pistol event. The achievement also put India on the medal board at the Tokyo Games and made her a household name in Indian sports.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Manu Bhaker ended up on a path of glory. She earned India’s first ever team medal in shooting by joining with Sarabjot Singh to win bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event. Making their way through in a thrilling play-off match, the duo beat South Korea’s Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10. Consistency in the event was key to India’s medal, as both shooters managed to pull a near perfect game to get the bronze.
A title almost had eluded the 25m pistol shooting competition in the final event of the Paris Olympics, in which Manu narrowly missed out on a grand treble with fourth place. Despite that, India’s shooting exploits at the Olympics without her are incomparable as she is among the finest athletes India has produced.
The controversy over Manu Bhaker’s omission from the Khel Ratna list continues, but there is no doubt of the pride her achievements have brought the nation.