History-making double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker’s name has notably been excluded from the list of nominees for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor, despite her remarkable achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian athlete since Norman Pitchard in 1900 to win two medals at the same Olympic event. The 22-year-old shooter clinched a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event and another bronze in the mixed team event, making her a standout performer at the Paris Games.
Her extraordinary success at the Olympics earned her the prestigious Sportswoman of the Year award at the Indian Sports Honours. However, it is surprising to many that Bhaker’s name did not feature in the nominations for the Khel Ratna, India’s highest recognition for sporting excellence. According to reports, the Ministry of Sports claimed that Bhaker did not apply for the award, but sources close to her family have insisted that she did, in fact, submit her application for consideration.
This raises questions about why Bhaker, with her double Olympic bronze medals, was overlooked for such a significant honor, especially when the selection committee could have still considered nominating her based on her achievements. A similar situation occurred last year when cricketer Mohammed Shami, despite not applying for the Arjuna Award, was nominated and awarded after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intervened. Bhaker, who had previously been conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2020, had publicly expressed her desire for the Khel Ratna through a social media post after her double-medal success at the Paris Olympics. In the post, she asked, "Do I deserve the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award?" However, after receiving some backlash, the post was eventually deleted.
While Bhaker’s omission from the Khel Ratna nominations has drawn attention, this year’s list includes Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, who led the Indian men’s hockey team to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar, who won a gold medal in the men’s high jump T64 class at the Paris Paralympics. Their nominations were reportedly recommended by a 12-member selection committee, which was headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramanian.
The exclusion of Manu Bhaker from the Khel Ratna nominations, despite her groundbreaking success, has sparked debate within the Indian sports community. Many believe her contributions to Indian sports, especially her historic performance in Paris, should have earned her a place among the nominees for the country’s most prestigious sports award.
