Kolkata : Manu Bhaker, India’s iconic shooter, who clinched 2 Bronze Medals in Paris Olympics 2024 was taken by surprise after her name wasn’t there in Khel Ratna 30 players nominee list. Her Father displayed disappointment regarding this omission.
While, as per officials, and Sports Ministry, Manu hadn’t submitted her name in the portal for Khel Ratna nominees, her family contradicts it, claiming she did apply.
Taking a dig at Sports Ministry, Manu’s Father said he regrets putting her daughter to shooting instead of Cricket, which is most loved Sports in India.
According to him, if she was a Cricketer, all awards would have come in her way. As per him, Manu came to him and told she shouldn’t have gone to Olympics and win Medals for India.
“I regret putting her (Manu Bhaker) 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 govt must recognise her efforts. 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 told Times of India.
It has also been reported that Manu submitted her name on the web portal. The sports ministry and the federation are said to be in talks to fully understand the matter.
“Manu said she had applied on the portal. If that was the case, then the committee must have considered her name. Whatever the situation, the federation has approached the ministry and requested the officials to include her name,” the source said.
Manu has also reportedly applied for the country’s third and fourth-highest civilian awards – Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, respectively. The applications, as per the paper, were submitted on the Padma awards portal on Sep 15.
