Manu Bhaker, celebrated for her historic achievement as the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting, was recently awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna by President Droupadi Murmu. Her accolades include two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking her as India’s first post-independence double medallist in a single Olympic event. However, her award has ignited a debate online regarding the criteria for such honors. Critics have compared her achievements to those of other athletes like chess champion Gukesh and Olympic medalist Harmanpreet Singh, questioning if there’s an underlying bias in award distribution. Supporters of Bhaker highlight her unique Olympic success, defending her recognition. This discourse has shed light on broader issues concerning the recognition of diverse sports achievements and the transparency of the awards process.
Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker is an accomplished Indian sport shooter, born on February 18, 2002. She has won multiple medals, including two at the Olympics and several at the Asian Games, and recently received the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Personal Information
Nationality: Indian
Born: February 18, 2002 (age 22) in Goria, Haryana, India
Height: 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight: 60 kg (132 lb)
Education
Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi
DAV College, Chandigarh (currently pursuing a master’s in Public Administration)
Sporting Career
Sport: Shooting
Events:
10 m air pistol
25 m pistol
Coached by: Jaspal Rana
Achievements
Olympic Medals:
2 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics (1 bronze in women’s 10m air pistol and 1 bronze in mixed team event)
World Championships:
14 medals (including 3 golds)
Asian Games:
7 medals (including gold in 2022)
Commonwealth Games:
1 gold medal in 2018
Notable Records
Highest World Ranking: 2