Manu Bhaker’s father slams Khel Ratna Award snub: ‘Is this the way you are encouraging athletes?’

Paris Olympics double medallist Manu Bhaker’s father has now reacted as daughter’s name hasn’t been included among the sportspersons nominated for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Manu Bhaker, who suffered a pistol malfunction at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, returned with two bronze medals in shooting in the Paris Olympics 2024. She secured a bronze in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event, making history as the first Indian female shooter to earn an Olympic medal. Later, Bhaker added another bronze in the women’s mixed 10-meter air pistol team event, alongside her teammate Sarabjot Singh.

While speaking exclusively to Sports Tak in an interview, Bhaker’s father Ram Kishan said, “What’s the point of getting two medals in single Olympics if you have to beg for awards. One government official is deciding and committee members are silent not giving their opinion. I don’t understand. Is this the way you are encouraging athletes? We had applied for the award but have heard nothing from the committee. Why parents are encouraging their kids to play they should push them for becoming IRS officers in government.”

12 member award selection committee

The award selection committee is a 12-member panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramam. It includes former athletes like women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal among others.

Ministry norms allow athletes to self-nominate

The ministry’s rules allow athletes to self-nominate for awards, without needing to go through federations or other organisations. However, the selection committee can still consider names that are not part of the official applications.

The ministry claimed that Bhaker did not apply for the award, her father, a chief engineer in Merchant Navy, said the youngster had followed the due process.

“She had been applying for all awards, say Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, 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,” Manu Bhaker’s father told PTI.

Father blames bureaucracy for mess-up

Her father added, “We form a committee but it is the bureaucrats who call the shots. This is not how sports function.” Reports claimed that committee recommended India hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and also nominated para athlete Preveen Kumar. The awards committee has recommended 30 athletes for Arjuna awards, including 17 from para disciplines.

No final list yet?

Amid this row, top sports ministry source told PTI that the names are yet to be finalised and she is likely to be there when the list is unveiled in a week’s time. “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,” ministry source said as quoted by PTI.