Coach Rana questions Sports Ministry, NRAI for ignoring Manu's credentials for Khel Ratna
New Delhi, Dec 24: Double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker's coach Jaspal Rana on Tuesday castigated the Sports Ministry, Sports Authority of India and the National Rifle Association of India, holding them responsible for "ignoring" his ward's credentials for the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.
The champion shooter's omission has sparked a controversy even though ministry sources have asserted that the names are yet to be finalised and her name will be there when the final list is released in a week's time.
In August, Bhaker became independent India's first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.
"I will hold all of them responsible. How can anyone even say Manu did not apply? She made history by becoming the first Indian to win two Olympic medals in the same Olympics. Her name should have been there automatically. Don't the people at the helm know who Manu Bhaker is and what are her credentials? This humiliation might just affect her progress," Rana, who was the personal coach of Manu when she won the medals at the Paris Games, told PTI.
"I can say that a wrong precedent is being set. Things like this can destroy an athlete's confidence."
Reports of her omission from the national honours evoked shock with her family insisting that application was duly submitted.
"If this can shock the sports fraternity, if you are speaking to me regarding this, if people are writing about this, then how come the committee that decides the names fail to understand that she deserves the honour," Rana asked.
"What is their job otherwise. Isn't it to go through the performance of the athletes over the last cycle and then arrive at a conclusion and recommend the names. According to me this is not a mistake and this is not an oversight," Rana said.
The award selection committee is a 12-member panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramam. It includes former athletes like women's hockey captain Rani Rampal among others.
The ministry norms allow athletes to self-nominate instead of relying on federations and other institutions for it. The selection committee is, however, allowed to consider names which may not be among the applicants.
While the ministry claimed that Bhaker did not apply for the award, her father Ram Kishan Bhaker, a chief engineer in Merchant Navy, said the youngster had followed the due process.
Rana added, "Even if the athlete was not able to apply for the award for some reasons, what is stopping the committee from recommending names. Hasn't she done enough to deserve an award."
"Anyway, it is not the first time. It has happened with me too. I have never received the Khel Ratna award," said the shooter who won three gold medals and equalled the world record in 25m centre fire pistol at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
"It's really appalling. Why should a top sportsperson apply or request for an award? Awards should come naturally and automatically. How can it be ignored? There has to be some system in place," Rana observed.
"Does every athlete know how to apply? Does it make sense that only an athlete can apply? Why not the federation, Sports Authority of India (or the) ministry," the coach asked.
A ministry source had earlier told PTI that Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will decide on the recommendations of the 12-member award selection committee and, in all likelihood, Manu's name will be there in the final list.
"There is no final list of nominees at this point. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will decide on the recommendations in a day or two and her name, in all likelihood, will be there in the final list," the source said.
The legendary Rana returned as Bhaker's coach exactly one year before the Paris Olympics, and was by her side as she went on to create history in the French capital.
Under Rana's guidance, Bhaker enjoyed a fruitful period between 2018 and 2021, during which she won multiple ISSF World Cup medals and became a Commonwealth Games champion at Gold Coast 2018.
However, the two parted ways in 2021 ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in which Bhaker would go on to endure a disastrous outing while suffering a pistol malfunction.
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Vajpayee architect of India's transition into 21st century: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the architect of India's transition into the 21st century and said the BJP stalwart ushered in reforms that set the stage for India's economic surge, abandoning an economic philosophy which encouraged cronyism and stagnation.
In an article which appeared in several newspapers on the 100th birth anniversary of Vajpayee, Modi said he spent his long parliamentary tenure largely in the opposition benches but never carried any trace of bitterness even though the Congress stooped to new lows by going to the extent of calling him a "traitor".
Modi said, "He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people."
The prime minister said Vajpayee provided stable and effective governance at a time when people were getting impatient and sceptical about the government's ability to deliver due to the political instability of the 90s when four Lok Sabha polls were held in about nine years.
Coming from humble roots, Vajpayee realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance, Modi said, adding that the long-term impact of his leadership is visible in several sectors.
His era marked a gigantic leap in the world of information technology, telecom and communications, he said.
"The NDA government under Atal ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project which connected the length and breadth of India," he said.
He also cited initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the push for Metro connectivity by doing extensive work for the Delhi Metro, which stands out as a world-class infrastructure project.
He said, "The Vajpayee government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration."
An initiative like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan highlights how Vajpayee dreamt of building an India where modern education is accessible to people across the nation, particularly the poor and marginalised sections, he added.
His government's decision to carry out nuclear tests and its handling of the aftermath provide a wonderful example of his leadership, Modi said.
He said, "The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed their anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal ji was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm, with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on May 13."
If the tests of May 11, 1998, showed scientific skill, the ones on May 13 showed true leadership, he said.
It was a message to the world that gone were the days when India would buckle under threats or pressure, he said.
Despite facing international sanctions, Modi said, the NDA government stood firm, articulating India's right to safeguard its sovereignty while simultaneously being the strongest proponent of world peace.
Modi said Vajpayee understood Indian democracy and also the need to make it stronger. He presided over the creation of the NDA, which redefined coalitions in Indian politics and became a force for development, national progress and regional ambitions.
"His parliamentary brilliance was seen throughout his political journey. He belonged to a party with a handful of MPs but his words were enough to rattle the might of the all-powerful Congress Party that time. As Prime Minister, he blunted the criticisms of the Opposition with style and substance," Modi said.
Vajpayee was not one to cling to power through opportunistic means. He preferred to resign in 1996 instead of following the path of horse-trading and dirty politics, the prime minister said, adding that his government fell by one vote in 1999.
Eventually, he came back with another resounding mandate from the people.
Modi said, "When it comes to commitment to protecting our Constitution too, Atal ji stands tall. He was deeply impacted by the martyrdom of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Years later, he was a pillar of the anti-Emergency movement."
In the run-up to the 1977 elections, he agreed to the merger of his own party (Jana Sangh) into the Janata Party as safeguarding the Constitution was all that mattered to him, he said.
Modi noted that as external affairs minister, Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to speak in Hindi at the United Nations, noting that this shows how deeply rooted he was in the Indian culture.
His persona was magnetic and his life was enriched by his love for literature and expression, he said.
Modi said for so many Bharatiya Janata Party members like him, it is their privilege that they were able to learn and interact with a person like Vajpayee.
Whenever the choice came between ideology and power, Vajpayee always chose the former, Modi said.
"He was able to convince the nation that an alternative world view from the Congress was possible and such a world view could deliver," he said, asking people to rededicate themselves to realising his ideals and fulfilling his vision for India.
