Hyderabad: Ace Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has come up with a revelation about the controversy surrounding her exclusion from the nominees for the Khel Ratna award. The Double Olympic medalist clarified her stance on the whole issue saying there was a lapse on her part while filing the nomination.
“With regard to the ongoing issue of my nomination for the most prestigious Khel Ratna award would like to state that as an athlete my role is to play and perform for my country. Awards and recognition keep me motivated but are not my goal. I believe there has been a lapse, maybe on my part while filing for the nomination which is being corrected. 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 matter," Manu Bhaker wrote in a post on X.
— Manu Bhaker🇮🇳 (@realmanubhaker) December 24, 2024
The 12-member committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramanian did not include the star Indian shooter in the list of Khel Ratna nominees. Reportedly, the Sports Ministry claimed that she hadn’t applied for the award. Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar are amongst the nominees for the Khel Ratna award.
Bhaker inked history in the Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first Indian to win two Olympic medals in a single Olympic edition for independent India. She won the bronze medal in the 10m women’s air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed doubles along with Sarabjot Singh.
