President kalikesh narayan singh deo

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna: The double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker's name is conspicuously missing from the list of sportspersons nominated for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this year.

This unexpected snub comes despite Bhaker scripting history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal by clinching bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. She followed this up with another bronze in the mixed 10m air pistol team event alongside Sarabjot Singh, marking the first time any Indian has won two medals in a single Olympics since India’s independence.

On Monday, sources close to the shooter revealed to IANS that the double-medalist shooter did apply for the Khel Ratna award but wasn't picked. "Manu Bhaker indeed applied for Khel Ratna, but strangely didn't get picked. It is shocking for all. NRAI has no role in it," the source said.