After a week of uncertainty over her nomination, India’s Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker is among the four athletes set to receive the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Alongside Bhaker, chess sensation D. Gukesh has also been named as one of the recipients, the sports ministry confirmed on Thursday.
The controversy surrounding Bhaker’s nomination stemmed from the initial omission of her name, but the shooter later acknowledged a potential lapse during the submission process. Despite this, Bhaker remained focused on her goals, stating, “Irrespective of the award, I shall remain motivated to win more medals for my country.”
The other two Khel Ratna Award recipients are Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of India’s men’s hockey team, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar. Harmanpreet led the team to a historic second consecutive bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, further solidifying his legacy in Indian sports. Meanwhile, 18-year-old D. Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion and played a key role in India’s gold medal victory at the Chess Olympiad.
Praveen Kumar earned the recognition for his impressive performance at the Paris Paralympics, where he secured the T64 high-jump title, a classification for athletes with amputations below the knee who use prosthetics.
The four awardees will receive their accolades from the President of India at a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025.
