Khel Ratna for Manu Bhaker: Tardy damage control by ministry?

There were hardly any surprises when Manu Bhaker’s name was eventually announced as one of the four Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees earlier this week, along with D. Gukesh, the youngest world chess champion, men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar. The Paris Olympics double medallist shooter ought to have been an automatic choice in view of her historic feat, but the recognition came after some tardy damage control on the part of the Union ministry of sports and youth affairs.

Remember the hue and cry raised by Manu’s family and coach Jaspal Rana when she was left out from the initial list of nominees which mentioned only Harmanpreet and Praveen Kumar? The ministry swung into action by insisting that the list had not been finalised, an excuse which didn’t wash as the 22-year-old from Haryana has been the toast of the nation since August 2024.

There was a fair indication as to which way the wind would blow when Manu said on social media in late December that there could have been a ‘lapse’ on her part while applying online for the award.

‘’With regards to ongoing issue of my nomination for the most prestigious Khel Ratna award — I would like to state that as an athlete my role is to play and perform for my country. I believe there has been a lapse, may be on my part while filing for the nomination which is being corrected,’’ Manu posted.

A statement from the athlete was sure to satisfy the egos of the powers that be, not to speak of the fact that the ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had invested heavily in her and the Indian shooting contingent as part of their Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS). The addition of Gukesh, who claimed the world crown on 12 December, gave the list a much more well-rounded look, though serious questions remain on the scrutinising process of the awards.

Top sports awards in India are no strangers to political affiliations, and proximity to powers that be has historically played a key role in the nominations, while there have been any number of precedents of disgruntled athletes speaking out against their peers after being overlooked for awards. The BJP-led Union government, meanwhile, renamed the erstwhile Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award after hockey wizard Dhyan Chand for obvious reasons a few years ago.

In Manu’s words, the role of athletes is to ‘play and perform’ for the country, but then it should be the role of sports officials and bureaucrats to zero in on deserving candidates rather than the latter soliciting recognition like job applicants.

Interestingly, shooting has landed four awards in the roll of honour and they will be conferred in the national capital on 17 January. Rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale and pistol ace Sarabjot Singh (who paired with Manu for the 10m air pistol), both bronze medallists in Paris, are among the 32 athletes shortlisted for the prestigious Arjuna Awards. Deepali Deshpande, the acclaimed rifle shooting coach, will receive the Dronacharya Award for coaches, while Manu is set to receive the highest Indian sports honour.

Reflecting the joy of the shooting fraternity, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), said: “Never before have so many from the shooting family been honoured with the highest sporting awards of the land. It is a testament to the world-class levels attained by Indian shooting as a whole.’’

All’s well that ends well, shall we say?