India’s top sports award, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, is at the center of a storm after Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker’s name was notably absent from the preliminary list of nominees. The 22-year-old shooter’s omission has sparked outrage, with her family and supporters questioning the decision.
Reacting to the controversy, Bhaker told reporters, “I think I deserve it. Let the country decide.”
Bhaker etched her name in history this August, becoming independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic edition—bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events. Yet, her groundbreaking feat has gone unacknowledged by the committee overseeing the awards.
Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, expressed her dismay. In a The Times of India report, he was quoted as saying, “She told me, ‘I shouldn’t have gone to the Olympics or won medals for the country. I shouldn’t have become a sportsperson.’” The remarks highlight the frustration of an athlete whose record-breaking accomplishments remain overshadowed.
Ram Kishan, a Merchant Navy chief engineer, added that her exclusion raises doubts about the selection process. “If such a performance doesn’t merit recognition, it’s hard to believe the committee is functioning without external influence,” he told another publication.
The controversy deepened with conflicting reports. While the sports ministry claimed Bhaker hadn’t applied for the award, her father insisted otherwise. “She’s been applying for the Khel Ratna and other awards for the past few years. I’m confident she applied this time as well,” he told PTI, emphasizing her achievements should suffice even without an application.
He also lamented the lack of recognition for Olympic sports in India. “Had she been a cricketer, she would have received all the accolades. What more must my child do for this country?”
Meanwhile, ministry sources suggested Bhaker’s name might yet appear on the final list, expected within days. “The recommendations will be reviewed, and her name is likely to feature,” a source told PTI.
The selection committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice V. Ramasubramanian, includes prominent athletes like hockey star Rani Rampal. But until the final list is announced, questions over Bhaker’s exclusion remain unanswered.