On Thursday, The Sports Ministry named India’s twin-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and chess prodigy D Gukesh among the four recipients of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
The announcement comes after a week of controversy, when it was revealed that Bhaker’s nomination may have initially been overlooked. Bhaker made history at the Paris Olympics in August, becoming independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single edition, securing bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.
Manu Bhaker earlier acknowledge a possible ‘lapse’ on her part while submitting the nomination. “I believe there has been a lapse, possibly on my part, while filing for the nomination, which is being corrected. Irrespective of the award, I shall remain motivated to win more medals for my country. I kindly request everyone not to speculate on this matter.”
India’s men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar are the other two recipients of this year’s Khel Ratna Award, which is the country’s highest sporting honour.
The awardees will receive their accolades from the President of India during a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025, as confirmed by the sports ministry in a press release.
