New Delhi: Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s statement congratulating Olympic bronze medalist Manu Bhaker has veered off course from Bhaker’s achievement.
On the day when Bhaker made India proud by winning the medal, Mandaviya instead of congratulating her chose to reel out the money spent and facilities provided to her by the Narendra Modi government.
Speaking to ANI, Mandaviya revealed that the government had spent around Rs 2 crore on Bhaker’s training, sending her to Germany and Switzerland for specialised coaching.
“Around Rs 2 crore was spent on Manu Bhaker’s training. She was sent to Germany and Switzerland for training. Financial help was provided which was needed for her to hire a coach who she wanted. We are providing this ecosystem to all athletes so that they give the best performance at national and international competitions. I am confident that our athletes will perform well in the Paris Olympics too,” Mandaviya was quoted as saying.
He also highlighted the role of the ‘Khelo India’ initiative and the TOPS scheme in identifying and nurturing sporting talent.
“By winning the first bronze medal in the Paris Olympics, Manu Bhaker has made India proud. In her interaction, she said that she has been a part of ‘Khelo India’. I am delighted to tell you that PM (Narendra) Modi started ‘Khelo India’ and under this initiative, sports infrastructure was set up in the country, sports competition was increased, and projects were floated to identify sports talent at school and college levels. Good coaches were hired to train the talents identified, they were provided good training and under the TOPS scheme, arrangements were made to ensure that they did not face any financial constraints, ” the minister said.
Mandaviya told PTI: “When she met PM Modi (before the Games), she told him that ‘the initiative of Khelo India has helped many athletes like myself in shaping our careers’ and today, through Khelo India, many athletes are participating in many events.”
A former bureaucrat from Haryana slammed the minister calling his comment “totally unwarranted”.
Slamming the minister for making these remarks at “this stage”, a former bureaucrat from Haryana told The Wire, “She has at least got an Olympic medal, what has the minister delivered for the hundreds of crores spend on him from the exchequer.”
“Totally insensitive on the part of sports minister. This statement was totally unwarranted at this stage,” the former officer added.
Bhaker, became the first Indian woman to win a medal in shooting at the Olympics.
In 2023, Bhaker was among select athletes who voiced her support for top wrestlers agitating for action to be taken against then BJP MP and Wrestling Federation chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who they accused of sustained sexual harassment and highhandedness.
“I am deeply pained to see the situation of my fellow athletes (Wrestlers) who have made the nation proud many times by winning medals and are now sitting on the roads to seek justice. I strongly stand with my fellow athletes and request for appropriate action on their complaints,” Bhaker had posted on X.
In 2019, Bhaker had famously posted a social media post addressing Haryana youth affairs minister Anil Vij, asking whether he was going to make good on his promise of a Rs 2-crore cash prize to her after her Youth Olympics victory.
“Someone in Haryana is really playing with Youth Olympic games cash prize!” she had written.
