NEW DELHI: The sports activities ministry and double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker struck a conciliatory be aware on Tuesday over the latter’s shock exclusion from the record of beneficial athletes for this 12 months’s Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. The snub to the shooter created an enormous controversy, resulting in extreme criticism of the 12-member choice committee.
Whereas Manu’s father Ram Bhaker continued his tirade towards the ministry and the committee for ignoring his daughter’s credentials for the nation’s highest sporting honour with the shooter’s private coach Jaspal Rana, additionally becoming a member of the raging debate, the 22-year-old athlete caught on this storm broke her silence over the problem and admitted on Tuesday that there was a “lapse” on her half in submitting the nomination.
In what seems like an effort to finish the controversy, Manu posted an announcement on ‘X’ the place she mentioned that awards and recognitions maintain her motivated however aren’t her solely purpose. “On the subject of the continued situation for my nomination for essentially the most prestigious Khel Ratna award, I want to state that as an athlete my function is to play and carry out for my nation. I consider there was a lapse, possibly on my half, whereas submitting for the nomination which is being corrected,” Manu wrote.
“Awards and recognition retains me motivated however usually are not my purpose. No matter the award, I shall stay motivated to win extra medals for my nation. It’s a request to everybody, please don’t speculate on this,” she mentioned.
Manu had been making use of for the Khel Ratna for the final three years – 2021-2023 – however her achievements weren’t thought-about regardless of the shooter successful a number of medals at main multisport occasions. It has been learnt that Manu was sad with the snub meted out to her by completely different awards committees and this could possibly be a purpose for her not making use of this time.
Regardless of that, the choice panel ought to have taken cognizance of her achievements as a shooter through the years, together with the 2 Paris Video games medals. It has been learnt that the ministry is actively contemplating nominating her title for the Khel Ratna by utilizing its government powers vested within the provisions of the Nationwide Sports activities Day awards scheme.
Rana, who returned to educate Manu precisely a 12 months earlier than the Paris Olympics, held the ministry, Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) and Nationwide Rifle Affiliation of India (NRAI) liable for ignoring his ward’s credentials. “I’ll maintain all of them accountable. Why ought to anybody even say Manu didn’t apply? Her title ought to have been there mechanically. Do not the folks on the helm know who Manu Bhaker is? This humiliation may simply have an effect on her progress,” Rana was quoted as saying by a information company.
HARVINDER UNHAPPY AT THE SNUB
Indian archer Harvinder Singh, who made historical past on the Paris Paralympics by clinching a gold medal within the males’s particular person recurve open, has expressed his annoyance over the Khel Ratna snub. He turned the primary archer from the nation to win gold in both the Paralympics or the Olympics and likewise achieved the excellence of being the one archer to safe medals in consecutive Paralympic editions.
“Discrimination in sports activities. Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallists have been awarded the Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, however what about Paris 2024 Paralympic gold medallists? Similar competitors, identical gold, identical satisfaction, why not the identical award?” he posted on X.
In 2021, Tokyo Paralympics gold medallists Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil and Pramod Bhagat have been all awarded the Khel Ratna.
