On January 17, India’s young shooter Manu Bhaker, who made history by winning two medals at the Paris Olympics, was honored with the country’s highest sports award, the Khel Ratna. Along with Manu, Harmanpreet Singh, captain of the Indian men's hockey team, and chess player D. Gukesh were also awarded the Khel Ratna. A total of 32 athletes received the prestigious Arjuna Award. Among them were Rubina and Kapil from Madhya Pradesh. The Khel Ratna award was presented to Manu Bhaker and D. Gukesh on January 17 by President Droupadi Murmu. The ceremony also honored Praveen Kumar, who won the gold medal in high jump at the Paris Paralympics, with the Khel Ratna award. Before the awards were announced, there had been some controversy. Reports surfaced that Manu Bhaker’s name was not on the Khel Ratna list, after which she expressed her displeasure.
