Manu Bhaker's name reportedly absent from nominees list for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award

India’s two-time Paris Olympics medallist Manu Bhaker's name is reportedly absent from the list of sportspersons nominated for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. According to a report in the Times of India, the sports ministry has informed that the Indian shooter did not apply for the award.

However, Manu’s family said that she had submitted her application for the award. Should an athlete not register for an award, the selection committee can take a suo moto cognizance based on her sporting achievements, but the committee haven’t done so till now.

In 2023, India pacer Mohammed Shami had not applied for the Arjuna award but was nominated after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) requested. The National Sports Day awards committee had taken suo moto cognizance in Shami’s case. Manu, who won two bronze medals at Paris Olympics, had earlier posted a message on social media asking fans if she deserved the Khel Ratna award.

“Tell me, Do I deserve Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award? Thank You," she had posted. However, she soon deleted that post after receiving backlash from her fans. Bhaker had won bronze medals in the women's 10m individual air pistol event and the mixed 10m air pistol team event, teaming up with Sarabjot Singh.

Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar among sportspersons nominated 

Sportspersons who have been nominated for the Khel Ratna award include India men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic gold medallist Praveen Kumar. Aman Sehrawat, the wrestler who won bronze in Paris Olympics, Olympic shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh and several para-athletes including Navdeep Singh and Dharambir have been nominated for the Arjuna award. Others nominated for the Arjuna awad include men’s hockey players like Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek Nain, Rajkumar Pal, Sanjay rana and Jarmanpreet Singh.