New Delhi: Manu Bhaker’s father Ram Kishan Bhaker said he regrets making his daughter a shooter and should have instead asked her to pursue cricket as he continued to lash out at the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Day committee after reports claimed that the double Olympic medallist has not made it to the list of nominations for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour.
Manu scripted history at the Paris Olympics 2024 as she became the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Games. The 22-year-old shooter won a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event before clinching another bronze medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol with her partner Sarabjot Singh.
However, despite her heroics at the Paris Games, Bhaker has reportedly been snubbed from the list of nominees for the Khel Ratna. Ever since learning about her daughter’s snub, Ram Kishan has vented out his frustration and criticised the nomination process for the award. Speaking to the Times of India, he said he should have made Manu a cricketer and asked what more his daughter needs to do to be considered for the Khel Ratna award.
“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,” Manu’s father told TOI.
I should have never won medals for the country: Manu to her father
On Monday, reports claimed that Manu’s name is not on the list of nominees for the Khel Ratna as she was not recommended for the award by the retired Supreme Court judge, Justice V Ramasubramam-led 12-member National Sports Day committee. The Sports Ministry reportedly claimed that Manu’s name was not on the list because the double Olympic medallist didn’t apply for the award.
However, their claims were strongly refuted by the shooter’s father, who went on to state that Manu did apply for the award on the portal but she is yet to hear back from the National Sports Day committee. He also revealed that Manu was disheartened to know about her snub from the list of nominees and told him that she should have never gone to the Olympics and won 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’,” added Manu’s father.
Manu’s double medal feat at the Paris Olympics was a special one as she not only became the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition but also became the first woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. She is also part of an elite list of Indian athletes to have won multiple individual medals at the Olympics, which included the likes of Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar.
Manu Bhaker’s father has launched a scathing attack on the National Sports Day committee and the Sports Ministry after reports claimed that the double Olympic medallist has not been nominated for the prestigious Khel Ratna award. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
