Manu Bhaker Opens Up on Returning to Competitive Shooting After Getting the Khel Ratna Award

India's two-time Olympic medal-winning shooter Manu Bhaker said she would be returning to competitive action after being over the moon on receiving the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Speaking to the media, the 22-year-old said that she has been putting herself through intense training for the last two and a half months in preparation for what awaits her in the next competitions. Bhaker added that she will participate in various events starting from the end of this month and then continuing to the next one.

The highest sports honor, the Khel Ratna Award, was conferred upon Manu Bhaker. It was presented to her by President of India Draupadi Murmu in the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Some other achievers present in the event were World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar.

She elaborated on how precious the Khel Ratna award was when she declared it a huge honor. "Khel Ratna is one of the highest honors in the country," Bhaker said. "It will encourage me to perform more, strive hard and make sure that more medals keep coming home to India."

It has been a story of grit and glory for Bhaker in her shooting career. In 2018, she became the first-ever woman shooter of the country to take home an Olympic medal. The Indian shooters started India's medal tally and made a final finish in the 10m air pistol event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Bhaker, with Sarabjot Singh, helped India win a historic bronze in the mixed 10m air pistol and India went on to claim its first shooting team medal in the Olympics.

While Bhaker was near making history with a historic grand treble at the Tokyo Olympics, she came short in the women's 25m pistol event finishing fourth. A historic moment went within reach as Bhaker had the chance to become the first Indian athlete to win three Olympic medals in a single edition of the Games. She didn't have much hope, however, once a malfunction with her gun left her reeling in disappointment in the qualification round for 10m air pistol. Bhaker lost valuable time and got knocked out of competition. But for Bhaker, Tokyo is the end. She is concentrating more on success from now onwards.

Her story of redemption began in the aftermath of the Tokyo Games, which left her frustrated after the gun malfunction. Despite this setback, Bhaker refocused and used the experience as a source of motivation for the future. "Tokyo was a tough experience for me, but it only made me stronger," she said. "I learned from it, and now I’m ready to compete at the highest level again."

Several huge events are in the pipeline for Bhaker as she prepares to get back into competition mode. "I have been training very hard for the last two and a half months, yes," Bhaker confirmed. "I am looking forward to competing again. I will definitely be back in action at the end of this month and the next."

Others honored at the ceremony have huge achievements for their respective sports. The award holders included Gukesh Dommaraju, who made history to become known as the world chess champion, won it in 2024, and won at a tender age of 18. He won the match for Indian chess in which he defeated China's Ding Liren in the 14th game in the neck-to-neck end where he had a nail-biting finish wherein he ended up winning by 7.5-6.5 as India took home its second World Chess Championship in the title since Viswanathan Anand.

Para-athlete Praveen Kumar won the Khel Ratna award through his brilliant performance in the 2024 Paralympic Games, where he won the Men's High Jump T64 with a Gold medal. This triumph raises India's pride in the glorious history of sports in the Paralympic Games and is a catalyst to inspire generations ahead.

Another Bronze winner from India at Tokyo Olympics, Khel Ratna also awaited the name of Harmanpreet Singh at this ceremony. As the National Team Captain, Harmanpreet has keenly played his part in India returning to international highlight in hockey. His leadership also led the team to win the bronze medal for Paris Olympics. Singh has been nominated for FIH Player of the Year as well. Thus, the commendable efforts made by Singh surely make him a role model for ambitious hockey players in India.

Since the spectacular achievements of great Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards are being made continuously to many outstanding sportspersons to mark the excellence brought into sports in India. The outstanding recipients of this year include Bhaker, Gukesh, Harmanpreet, and Praveen.

The Khel Ratna Award would symbolize Manu Bhaker's resolve and resilience in glories she looks at redescovering competitive shooting, bringing it back to India. Whether the battle cream of shooting was the triumph at the Olympics or woes at Tokyo, this future prospect of competitions would definitely prove to be a very exciting chapter for her in her illustrious career.