NEW DELHI: The sports ministry and double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker struck a conciliatory be aware on Tuesday over the latter’s shock exclusion from the checklist of beneficial athletes for this yr’s Major Dhyan Chand. Khel Ratna awards. The snub to the shooter created an enormous controversy, main to extreme criticism of the 12-member choice committee.
While Manu’s father Ram Bhaker continued his tirade in opposition to the ministry and the committee for ignoring his daughter’s credentials for the nation’s highest sporting honor with the shooter’s private coach Jaspal Rana, additionally becoming a member of the raging debate, the 22-yr-previous athlete caught on this storm. broke her silence over the difficulty and admitted on Tuesday that there was a “lapse” on her half in submitting the nomination.
In what seems to be like an effort to finish the controversy, Manu posted a press release on ‘X’ the place she stated that awards and recognitions hold her motivated however aren’t her solely objective. “With regards to the ongoing issue for my nomination for the most prestigious Khel Ratna award, I would like to state that as an athlete my role is to play and perform for my country. I believe there has been a lapse, maybe on my part , while filing for the nomination which is being corrected,” Manu wrote.
“Awards and recognition keeps me motivated but are not my goal. Irrespective of the award, I shall remain motivated to win more medals for my country. It is a request to everyone, please do not speculate on this,” she stated.
Manu had been making use of for the Khel Ratna for the final three years – 2021-2023 – however her achievements weren’t thought of regardless of the shooter successful a number of medals at main multisport occasions. It’s been discovered that Manu was sad with the snub meted out to her by completely different awards committees and this could possibly be a motive for her not making use of this time.
Despite that, the choice panel ought to have taken cognizance of her achievements as a shooter through the years, together with the 2 Paris Games medals. It’s been discovered that the ministry is actively contemplating nominating her identify for the Khel Ratna through the use of its government powers vested within the provisions of the National Sports Day awards. scheme.
Rana, who returned to coach Manu precisely a yr earlier than the Paris Olympics, held the ministry, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) liable for ignoring his ward’s credentials. “I will hold all of them responsible. Why should anyone even say Manu did not apply? Her name should have been there automatically. Don’t the people at the helm know who Manu Bhaker is? This humiliation might just affect her progress,” Rana was quoted as saying by a news 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. Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medalists were awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, but what about Paris 2024 Paralympic gold medalists? Same competition, same gold, same pride, why not the same award?” he posted on
