From jaws of death to Olympics: Story of India’s first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar

/in /von

Even before the debilitating encounter in the 1965 war, he would participate in sports. He was selected to represent India in boxing at the International Services Sports Meet at Tokyo in 1964. Petkar was felicitated last year by Indian cricketing icon Rahul Dravid at the launch of former Indian shuttler Sanjay Sharma’s book on Indian athletes who overcame disability. But barring that one evening, it appears many have forgotten the mammoth achievements, both on the field and off, of a young Indian war hero who gave the country his all. Petkar was proficient at many sports – javelin, shot put, swimming, wrestling, boxing.

They encouraged me a lot and supported me in my quest to become the best in my chosen field,” says Petkar. „I had never thought I would get a Padma. I don’t know who nominated me for this honour. But I do believe that this award would inspire other para-athletes,“ said Petkar, who is mostly wheelchair bound. Petkar was conferred with Maharashtra’s highest sporting award — the Shiv Chhatrapati Award — by the state government in 1975.

Meet Murlikant Petkar: The athlete who inspired Kartik Aaryan and Sushant Singh Rajput

Here is a list of most important milestones in the history of Indian sports development. Moving forward, this blog contains the next 5 achievements of India after independence in sports. Born on November 1, 1947, at Peth Islampur in Sangli district of what is now Maharashtra, Petkar has been a sportsman from childhood.

Adapting to his new reality, Murlikant switched from boxing to swimming and other sports, embarking on a journey that would eventually lead him to global recognition. Petkar, who was 28 when he won the historic gold medal, took to the swimming pool in times when disabled people did not get much support from the government and society. He was advised to participate in sports to speed up his rehabilitation after suffering the injury. In 1972, at the Heidelberg Paralympics, Germany, Murlikant wrote his name in sporting history as he clinched the nation’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal in the 50m freestyle swimming event, setting a world record of 37.33 seconds.

Athletics in India

He has won the General Championship Cup for 5 consecutive years ( ). He bagged Gold in 50M Freestyle Swimming at the 3rd Commonwealth Paraplegic Games held at Edinburgh, Scotland. At the same event, he also won Silver in Javelin Throw and Bronze in Shot-put. “I was out for tea in the afternoon when a while was blown to indicate an aerial attack. I tried to rush back to my room but firing had already started,” recollects Petkar, who received multiple bullet injuries and was also run over by an army vehicle in the chaos.

In this article, we will delve into the lives and achievements of some of India’s most iconic athletes, who have left an indelible mark on the world of sports. Born on November 1, 1947, at Peth Islampur in Sangli district, Maharashtra. Left crippled by war, Petkar resolutely refused to give up, choosing to pursue his sporting career with a renewed vigour and passion, even more so than before he sustained life-changing injuries. Fighting on the frontlines was Petkar, then a private-jawan in the Indian Army. Seriously injured in the firing, he sustained severe bullet wounds that all but ended the sporting aspirations of the former Electronics and Mechanical Engineering branch (EME) Secunderabad boxer.

    {

  • They gifted me the latest wheelchair and nice clothes and a lot of things.

    • |}

  • Before him, Sushant Singh Rajput was selected in 2016 to play the role.
  • On January 17, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Murlikant Petkar was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement.

    • {

  • Their wheelchairs were made of metal and very sturdy and smooth whereas what we had were three-wheeled wooden contraptions,” adds Petkar.

    • |}

  • Despite the odds, Murlikant Petkar, the soldier turned athlete not only defied limitations but paved the way for a brighter future for Paralympic sports in India.

    • {

  • Achievements of India at Asian games 1982, We won 13 Gold, 19 Silver and 25 Bronze in an overall total of 57 medals.

    • |}

{

achievements of India after independence in all fields of sports – 2: Indian Sports History

|}

Despite the odds, Murlikant Petkar, the soldier turned athlete not only defied limitations but paved the way for a brighter future for Paralympic sports in India. Petkar’s 1972 image source victory was a watershed moment for Indian Paralympic sports. In a country where disability sport was largely unknown, it gained recognition and respect from the people. Born in 1944 in Sangli, Maharashtra, Petkar’s life took a dramatic turn during India’s 1965 war against Pakistan.

A soldier in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Petkar was severely injured during an attack. His efforts were finally recognised in 2018, when he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India. On January 17, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Murlikant Petkar was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement. All it takes is a simple question and he will break into countless stories about his past. It’s fascinating to listen to him speak about his achievements as though they were a given, because he felt he was always destined for greatness. Before Jhajharia and Abhinav Bindra, this man achieved a historic first for India at the 1972 Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany.