Mon Dec 23 17:25:35 UTC 2024: ## Olympic Medalist Manu Bhaker Snubbed for Khel Ratna Award
**NEW DELHI** – Manu Bhaker, the first Indian since independence to win two Olympic medals in a single Games, has been surprisingly omitted from the nominations for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The news has sparked outrage and confusion among fans and officials alike.
Bhaker, 22, secured two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and the mixed 10m air pistol team event. This historic achievement makes her the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal.
Despite her application for the Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honor, Bhaker’s name was absent from the list of nominees announced this week. Her father, Ramkishan Bhaker, expressed his surprise on X (formerly Twitter), simply stating, “This is also right,” alongside a news article detailing the snub.
Sources close to the shooter confirmed to IANS that Bhaker did indeed apply for the award. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, has written to the Sports Ministry urging them to reconsider Bhaker’s case.
This latest development follows an earlier controversy earlier this year when Bhaker questioned her own eligibility for the award on social media, a post she later deleted amidst criticism.
Bhaker’s impressive career includes gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, as well as setting a Commonwealth Games record in 2018. At just 16, she became the youngest Indian shooter to win gold at the ISSF World Cup. Her Paris Olympic success marked a triumphant return after a setback at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The omission of such a celebrated athlete from the Khel Ratna nominations has raised questions about the selection process and prompted widespread disappointment among Bhaker’s supporters.
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