GUWAHATI, Dec 24: Paris Olympics double medalist Manu Bhaker has broken her silence on the controversy surrounding her reported exclusion from the list of nominees for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award saying the lapse might have been on her part while filing for the nomination.
Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in August this year, said in a statement on social media that “awards and recognition are not my goal” and that “there has been a lapse, maybe on my part while filing for the nomination which is being corrected”.
“With regards to ongoing issue for 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. Awards and recognition keeps me motivated but are not my goal. I believe there has been a lapse, maybe 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. It is a request to everyone, please do not speculate on this matter,” she wrote in a post on ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
The controversy began amid reports that Bhaker, who became the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympics, was excluded from the list of Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees although the Sports Ministry, reports added, insisted that the list of awardees was not finalised yet.
