On Monday (Dec 23), Manu Bhaker’s name was not mentioned in the Khel Ratna award list despite her two bronze medals in the Paris Olympics. In the showpiece event, the 22-year-old won two bronze medals — one in the women’s 10m air pistol event and the other with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed 10m pistol event. However, a 12-member National Sports Day committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge, Justice V Ramasubramam did not recommend the shooter’s name, irking her father Ramakrishna.
While the Sports Ministry has claimed that the 22-year-old did not apply for the award, her father revealed that they did apply for the honour but never heard back (it is unclear if the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for the list). Amid all this, Ramakrishna has made a big claim, saying he should have made Manu a cricketer rather than a shooter.
Manu’s father said in an interview with TOI, ”I regret putting her in the sport of shooting. I should have instead made her a cricketer. Then, all the awards and accolades would have come her way. She won two Olympic medals in a single edition, no one has ever done that. What else do you expect my child to do for the country? The government must recognise her efforts.”
Ramakrishna said that Manu was disheartened and claimed she regretted participating in the Olympics and winning medals for the country.
“I spoke to Manu, and she was disheartened by all this. She told me ‘I shouldn’t have gone to the Olympics and won medals for the country. In fact, I shouldn’t have become a sportsperson’,” Manu’s father added.
Manu became the first-ever Indian athlete, post Independence, to win two medals in an Olympic edition. In 2020, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award.