Khel Ratna checklist not finalised, says ministry on Manu Bhaker ‘snub’ 

The sports activities ministry, nevertheless, added that the ultimate checklist for the Khel Ratna has not but been finalised, leaving the door open for Bhaker to be thought of for the accolade.

A 12-member awards committee stoked controversy after its checklist of suggestions for India’s highest sporting honour didn’t point out the double-medallist from the 2024 Paris Olympics. The suggestions for the Khel Ratna included Indian males’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, who led the crew to a bronze medal in Paris, and males’s excessive leap gold medallist (within the T64 class) on the Paralympics Praveen Kumar.

“This isn’t the ultimate checklist, there’s a course of concerned,” a sports activities ministry official instructed HT. “The suggestions must undergo the sports activities minister earlier than the checklist of awardees is finalised,” the official added. Individuals within the ministry conscious of the event mentioned the awards committee goes by the protocol of discussing these names who’ve utilized for the Nationwide Sports activities Awards and Bhaker’s utility was not there.

In keeping with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities tips amended on October 24, 2024, “functions are being invited solely on-line via a devoted portal”. The rules additional said that eligible sportspersons “must self-apply” via the net portal”.

“If she had utilized, there is no such thing as a motive for us to not take into account her,” mentioned a member of the awards committee who didn’t want to be named.

Bhaker’s father, Ramkishan, in the meantime asserted that his daughter shouldn’t be required to use for an award, particularly after changing into the one athlete from Impartial India to win two medals on the similar version of the Olympics.

The 22-year-old had gained bronze within the girls’s 10m air pistol occasion earlier than pairing up with Sarabjot Singh to win a second bronze within the combined 10m air pistol occasion.

“I’ve been ensuring that she applies for awards for the final 4 years, Khel Ratna and Padam Shri awards. Even this time, when she has gained two Olympic medals, does she have to use? The entire nation is aware of what she has achieved,” Ramkishan instructed HT on Monday. “Why does she want to use for the award? There are some 49 functions of Manu (for numerous awards) that are pending with the sports activities ministry. What about them?”

Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana claimed the shooter was “disheartened” after being ignored for the Khel Ratna. He mentioned the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation of India, the governing physique of the game within the nation, ought to have taken the lead within the award utility.

“I don’t know whether or not she utilized or not, however even when she didn’t, somebody within the NRAI might’ve nudged her,” Rana instructed HT. “Manu had a really busy Olympic cycle and some tremendous busy months following her medals in Paris. Absolutely, there might have been a approach to verify her identify reaches the committee.”

The NRAI, nevertheless, made it clear that the matter of a authorities award is strictly between an athlete and the federal government. Nonetheless, the federation has written to the ministry on Monday to contemplate Bhaker for the award.

“The federation had no function to play in her utility,” NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo mentioned. “The system is rightly designed to maintain federations out of this course of and make sure the athlete is in direct contact with the awards committee. We don’t even know if she utilized or not, but when she did, I don’t assume the committee had any motive to not take into account her. If she didn’t apply, there’s nothing the committee might’ve achieved. No one deserves the award greater than Manu. We’ve taken cognizance of media stories and written to the sports activities ministry at present requesting them to pay attention to her efficiency on the Olympics and her general stellar profession.”

Prior to now, the awards committee had the correct to make issues even when there was no utility from at athlete. It’s how Mohammed Shami was given the Arjuna Award final yr regardless of the quick bowler not making use of.

Now, nevertheless, the awards committee member mentioned, the federal government gave them a mandate to solely take into account athletes who had utilized for the awards. In different phrases, Bhaker couldn’t be chosen by the committee if she had not despatched in an utility.

The Khel Ratna, India’s highest sports activities award, comes with a medal and a money prize of ₹25 lakh.

Bhaker obtained the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting honour, in 2020.