Double Olympic Medalist Manu Bhaker Snubbed From Khel Ratna Nominations; Officials Claim Shooter Didn’t Apply

India’s ace shooter Manu Bhaker has been excluded from the Khel Ratna nominations.

Hyderabad: Manu Bhaker wrote her name in the annals of the Indian sport when she won two medals in the Paris Olympics. First, she secured a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event which made her the female shooter from India to win a medal at any Olympics. Bhaker then won another bronze in the mixed 10m air pistol team event with teammate Sarabjot Singh. By winning a couple of medals in a single Olympic edition she became the first Indian to do so after India got independence. However, despite such achievements, her name from the Khel Ratna nominations is missing according to a report by Times of India. A 12-member National Sports Day committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge, Justice V Ramasubramam did not recommend Bhaker’s name for the prestigious award.

According to the report, sports ministry officials have claimed that the shooter didn’t apply for the award. However, a report from India Today says that her parents had claimed that the shooter applied for the award but they did not hear back from the committee.

Bhaker ended up without winning any medal in the 2020 Olympics due to a pistol malfunction. However, she made a stunning comeback this year securing a podium finish in Paris. She has also secured gold at the 2022 Asian Games in the women’s 25m pistol event. After being scrutinised for her failure in the previous Olympics, Bhaker silenced her critics with a stellar performance.