Manu Bhaker, an independent Indian athlete, is the first to win two medals in a single edition of the Paris Olympics 2024. She is currently making headlines over the internet. She was shockingly ignored from the nomination list of the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, leading to sparked curiosity over the internet.

Meanwhile, the Youth and Sports Ministry is now considering nominating her name for this prestigious honor. According to the Times of India, the sports ministry is now planning to nominate Bhakers name for the countrys highest sports honor by using its executive powers vested in the provisions of the National Awards scheme.

Notably, in August this year, Manu Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to capture two back-to-back medals in a single edition of the Olympics. She won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.

The reports of her omission from the list of the national honor award shocked her family, claiming that the application for the award was duly submitted. While the ministry in its defense said that Manu Bhaker didnt apply for the award, her father, Ram Kishan, said her daughter had followed the process.

Sports Ministry on Manu Bhaker

There is no final list of nominees at this point. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will decide on the recommendations in a day or two, and her name, in all likelihood, will be there in the final list, a source of the ministry said.

This is to be noted that the 12-member selection committee failed to recognize Bhakers incredible achievements during the awards cycle period, where she won several medals at major multisport and international events.

The committee recommended the name of hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh; the Indian hockey team won a bronze medal in Paris, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar. He won gold in the mens high jump T64 class with an Asian record at the Paris Paralympics for the Khel Ratna.

What did Manu Bhakers father say?

Ram Kishan Bhaker, father of Manu Bhaker, who is also a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy, said that there is no worth in playing in the Olympics in India because despite winning two medals in an Olympics, Manu has been ignored for the Khel Ratna award. There is no point in playing and winning rewards for your country and in turn begging for recognition.

“She had been applying for all awards, say Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, for the last 2-3 years continuously, and I have proof of that.

This time too, I am confident she would have applied, but I can’t show anything as I am at sea right now. “But even if she hasn’t, the committee should consider her looking at her achievements, he asserted, while blaming the bureaucracy.