After a week-long confusion, Manu Bhaker was finally added to the list of recipients of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, on January 2. The confirmation by the sports ministry came after a week of controversy, where Bhaker wasn’t initially nominated.

The two-time Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medallist later accepted that it was a possible lapse on her part which led to her being overlooked.

WFI chief on Manu Bhaker’s Khel Ratna controversy

Commenting on the controversy, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh slammed the procedure for initially ignoring Bhaker in the award nominations, accusing it of ‘favouritism’.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “The officials discuss who to award Bharat Ratna or Khel Ratna…You must have seen Manu Bhaker’s name was not there even after winning two medals and after the movement was started she did get included…Officials sit and try to include their favourite people in the list of Khel Ratna.”

Only 22-years-old, Bhaker is already one of the best in Indian shooting history. Other than her two Olympic medals, she has seven Asian games and Asian C’ships medals, and 21 medals at the World Championships and World Cup. In Paris, she became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympics medal by claiming bronze in the 10m pistol event. Then she clinched bronze in the 10m pistol mixed team event, becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic Games.

The other Khel Ratna recipients are D Gukesh, Haranpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar. They will receive their awards from the President of India during a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, according to reports.

Bhaker made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but faced disappointment and also had a pistol malfunction controversy. She secured Paris 2024 quota place for India by coming fifth in the 25m pistol event at the 2023 Asian Shooting C’ship. She is also a gold medallist in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics.