NEW DELHI: Double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker’s identify lacking from the advice checklist of the Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award has created a furore. Caught on the back-foot, the sports activities ministry is now contemplating nominating her identify for the nation’s highest sporting honour by utilizing its government powers vested within the provisions of the Nationwide Sports activities Day awards scheme, TOI has learnt.
Manu created historical past on the Paris Video games 2024 after clinching back-to-back medals (bronze) within the ladies’s particular person 10m air pistol and within the combined workforce occasion partnering Sarabjot Singh, cementing her place as one of many best Indian athletes in Olympic sports activities. The 22-year-old from Haryana’s Jhajjar district grew to become the primary Indian to attain such a feat at a single Olympic version since India attained independence.
Her omission from the checklist of athletes advisable for the Khel Ratna – as highlighted by TOI in its unique report on Monday – thus got here as an enormous shock. The 12-member choice committee didn’t take cognizance of her unbelievable achievements throughout the awards cycle interval, the place she received a number of medals at main multisport and worldwide occasions.
The committee advisable ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, who captained the Indian males’s hockey workforce to a bronze medal-finish in Paris, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar, who received gold within the males’s excessive bounce T64 class with an Asian file on the Paris Paralympics, for the Khel Ratna.
The authorities forgot that previously, Olympic medallists have been awarded the Khel Ratna upon their return to the nation proper after their profitable marketing campaign on the Summer season Video games. In 2021, all of the medallists from the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Video games – who had not but been awarded the Khel Ratna – have been awarded with the honour by the government. Surprisingly, the identical gesture or rule wasn’t utilized within the case of a deserving athlete as Manu.
Whereas the officers within the ministry claimed that the shooter didn’t apply for the award, Manu’s father Ram Bhaker maintained that she had certainly despatched in her utility. The purpose is, even when Manu had not utilized for the award, why did the choice panel fail to take cognizance of her stupendous achievements as a shooter over time?
It’s been learnt that the ministry may invoke Articles 5.1 and 5.2 of the ‘Scheme for the Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ which state: “Sportspersons eligible in accordance with award tips shall be permitted to self-apply with out the advice of the authorities/individuals. However the above, the federal government reserves the proper to appoint as much as two nominations in deserving instances.”
In keeping with sources, sports activities minister Mansukh Mandaviya is anticipated to undergo the names of Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyanchand nominees and provides his approval to the checklist on Wednesday. Sources stated the minister, who has been travelling, has already been knowledgeable in regards to the controversy surrounding Manu’s exclusion from the checklist.
Taking pictures federation approaches ministry
Whereas the scheme offers that candidates ought to self-apply on the ministry’s portal for awards, the respective nationwide sports activities federation (NSF) of athletes may also ship the names of deserving sportspersons to the ministry on-line by filling up the small print. The Nationwide Rifle Affiliation of India (NRAI) didn’t nominate Manu for the Khel Ratna when ideally it ought to have.
A supply within the federation instructed TOI that it has now approached the ministry with a request to incorporate Manu’s identify.
“Manu stated she had utilized on the portal. If that was the case, then the committee should have thought of her identify. Regardless of the state of affairs, the federation has approached the ministry and requested the officers to incorporate her identify,” the supply stated.
Manu applies for Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
Whether or not Manu’s identify will characteristic within the ultimate checklist of Khel Ratna awardees is but to be seen, however it may be confirmed that she has additionally utilized for the nation’s third and fourth highest civilian awards – Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, respectively. Manu’s twin functions for these awards are in possession of TOI. She utilized on the Padma awards’ portal on Sep 15.
Father lambasts ministry, committee
Manu’s father on Monday lambasted the ministry and choice committee for ignoring his youngster’s achievements. “I remorse placing her within the sport of taking pictures. I ought to have as a substitute made her a cricketer. Then, all of the awards and accolades would have come her method. She received two Olympic medals in a single version, nobody has ever achieved that. What else do you count on my youngster to do for the nation? The government should recognise her efforts. I spoke to Manu, and he or she was disheartened by all this. She instructed me ‘I shouldn’t have gone to the Olympics and received medals for the nation. In truth, I shouldn’t have develop into a sportsperson’,” Bhaker instructed TOI.
RICH HAUL OF MEDALS IGNORED
The government’s word of October 24, 2024 inviting functions for Khel Ratna says: “To be eligible for Khel Ratna award, the spectacular and most excellent efficiency within the area of sports activities by a sportsperson over a interval of 4 years instantly previous the 12 months throughout which award is to be given shall be thought of for award for excellence in sports activities and video games at worldwide degree i.e. Olympic/Paralympics/Asian/Commonwealth Video games/Championships/World Cup/World Championships and equal recognised worldwide tournaments. Accordingly, sports activities achievements for the interval from January 1, 2020, as much as the conclusion of the Olympics/Paralympics Video games 2024 shall be considered.”
Throughout this four-year awards cycle, Manu received a number of worldwide medals of reputation, the dual Olympic bronze medals in Paris topping the chart. In the course of the interval, Manu received 17 gold, six silver and 5 bronze medals unfold throughout totally different editions of taking pictures World Championships, World Cups, Asian Video games, Asian Championships, Junior World Championships, Junior World Cup and World College Video games.
OTHER OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS ALSO NOT IN KHEL RATNA LIST
Apart from Harmanpreet Singh, not a single Paris Olympic medallist was advisable for the Khel Ratna by the committee. Even the bronze-winning taking pictures duo of Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh and wrestler Aman Sehrawat weren’t thought of for the award and have been as a substitute advisable for Arjuna – the second highest sporting honour.
In 2021, all of the medallists (gold, silver & bronze) from Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics – who weren’t honoured with the Khel Ratna beforehand – got the award by the ministry.
