Manu Bhaker admits she made a mistake in the Khel Ratna controversy, saying, "When I was submitting my nomination..."

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India, Dec. 24 -- Manu Bhaker, who snagged two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, has found herself in the middle of a big controversy after not being included in the Khel Ratna award list. However, on Tuesday night, the 22-year-old admitted that she might have overlooked something in the nomination process for this year's National Sports Awards.

Manu took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her thoughts. Her comments came just a day after the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports stepped in to tackle the rising controversy.

"Regarding the ongoing situation with my nomination for the prestigious Khel Ratna award -- I want to emphasize that as an athlete, my job is to compete and represent my country," she posted on X.

Awards and recognition definitely keep me inspired, but they’re not my main focus. I think there was a bit of a mix-up on my end when I submitted my nomination, and that’s being sorted out, she mentioned.

She also added, No matter what happens with the award, I’ll stay driven to bring home more medals for my country. I kindly ask everyone not to jump to conclusions about this.

After Manu Bhaker shared her statement, many people online showed their support and wished her well for the upcoming competitions.

"Good luck, Manu," one user said. Another chimed in, "Well said! Wishing you all the success in shooting."

Another user chimed in, saying, "Keep your eyes on your goals." Someone else added, "Sending you good vibes, Manu."

Earlier, Manu Bhaker's dad, Ramkishan Bhaker, criticized the Sports Ministry and Selection Committee for ignoring her accomplishments. Even her coach, Jaspal Rana, had some harsh words for the Ministry.

For those who might not know, Manu Bhaker is the first athlete from independent India to snag two medals in a single Olympic Games.

She took home bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and the 10m air pistol mixed team events (alongside Sarabjot Singh) in Paris.

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