By Vivek Prabhakar SinghNew Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): After being felicitated with the distinguished Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s two-time Olympic medalist shooter Manu Bhaker stated that she has been coaching for the final two and a half months often and could be in motion in competitions beginning at month-end and the subsequent month.
Double Olympic medalist Manu, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian males’s hockey group captain Harmanpreet Singh and Para Athlete Praveen Kumar have been awarded the distinguished Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu on the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday.
Speaking to ANI, Bhaker stated, “It is an honour to receive the Khel Ratna. It is one of the biggest honours in the country. This will inspire me to work harder in the future and win more medals for the country.”On her return to competitions, she added, “I have been training for the last two and a half months regularly. Competitions are coming end of this month and next month.”Bhaker opened India’s medal tally within the Olympics after she secured third place within the girls’s particular person 10m air pistol occasion, changing into the first-ever lady shooter to win an Olympic medal for India. Following that, Sarabjot Singh and Bhaker gained the bronze medal within the 10m air pistol (combined group) occasion, which was India’s first-ever capturing group medal.
In her remaining occasion, she narrowly missed out on the historic grand treble and completed fourth within the girls’s 25m pistol capturing occasion. She missed out on the chance to grow to be the primary Indian to win three medals on the Olympics.
The younger shooter’s candy redemption got here after a disappointing Tokyo Olympics marketing campaign in 2021, the place a malfunction in her gun value her a medal. During the ten m air pistol qualification spherical through the Tokyo Olympics, her gun malfunctioned, which brought on her to lose numerous time. She was left with a really quick period of time to hold out her quota of photographs. She missed the top-eight end required to qualify for the ultimate spherical and completed on the twelfth spot. In the 25-metre pistol occasion, she did not qualify additional, ending within the fifteenth spot. Her 10 m air pistol combined group occasion didn’t go nicely both, as she completed in seventh total.
Coming to different Khel Ratna awardees, Gukesh’s success story was one of many main highlights of Indian sports activities in 2024. He made historical past in December by defeating China’s Ding Liren within the decisive 14th sport of the FIDE World Championship match in Singapore. The championship, tied at 6.5-6.5 heading into the ultimate sport, noticed a stellar efficiency from Gukesh, who secured a 7.5-6.5 victory, changing into the youngest world champion ever at 18. He additionally grew to become India’s second world chess champion after Viswanathan Anand.
Para Athlete, Praveen Kumar gained a Gold within the Men’s High Jump T64 on the Paralympics 2024.
Harmanpreet Singh had been a part of the Tokyo Olympics the place India had gained the Hockey bronze. He has additionally been nominated for FIH Player of the Year. Under his management, the India group gained a bronze medal within the Paris Olympics. (ANI)