NEW DELHI: The exclusion of Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker from the list of nominees for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award has sparked controversy this week. In response to the uproar, Bhaker expressed her conviction in deserving the honor, leaving it to the nation to judge her merit.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, India’s highest honor in sports, recognizes exceptional achievements in sports. In August, Manu Bhaker achieved a historic milestone by becoming independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic edition, earning bronze in the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events.
Despite her historic achievement, the reported omission of Manu Bhaker's name from the national honours list shocked her family. Her father, Ram Kishan, shared that Manu was deeply disheartened by the situation.
He mentioned that she expressed regret about participating in the Olympics and winning medals for the country, even questioning her decision to pursue a career in sports.
Speaking to the media, Manu Bhaker’s father Ram Kishan expressed his suspicions about the committee responsible for deciding the national sports awards. He questioned the decision, stating that despite Manu’s outstanding performance, her omission from the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna recommendations suggests something may be amiss within the committee or that certain instructions were being followed.
He further emphasized that to establish India as a sporting hub, Olympic medalists and Olympians, in general, should be respected and encouraged, rather than discouraged by decisions like this.
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