Know Your Legend: Murlikant Petkar was Indias first Paralympic gold medalist

He also won a silver medal in Javelin Throw and a bronze medal in Shot-put at the same event. But that wasn’t the end of his story; it was merely the first chapter in the rise of India’s first Paralympic gold medallist. But this epilogue befits a certain former athlete who has gone through pretty much the exact same process minus the recognition – India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar. Not just that, he is the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in either Paralympics or Olympics.

Petkar also participated in javelin throw and precision javelin throw where he reached the finals. “There was not much support for disabled people in the society but we continued to work hard and participate in events as we wanted to prove that we were capable of representing the country and winning medals. I always believed in myself,” says Petkar, who participated in two editions of the Paralympic Games – the Tel Aviv 1968 and Heidelberg 1972. Beyond swimming, Petkar demonstrated his versatility by participating in javelin, precision javelin throw, and slalom events at the same games, reaching the finals in all three disciplines. Murlikant also represented India in table tennis at the 1968 Summer Paralympics, where he advanced past the first round.

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Despite winning many medals and putting the country on the global map, Petkar was not recognised by the Government of India until 2018, when he was honoured with Padma Shree. There were some North Indians in Heidelberg and they were ecstatic and proud seeing an Indian winning a gold medal. image source They gifted me the latest wheelchair and nice clothes and a lot of things. “In London, they had beautiful and well-equipped infrastructure – separate tennis facilities, volleyball courts, dedicated coaches and support staff.

Meet Murlikant Petkar, the pioneering athlete who won India’s first Paralympic gold

He practiced each and every one of those sports with only a stump for an arm, and still battling through the pain of his war wounds. That year, he participated in table tennis, and notched first-round wins before being knocked out of the tournament. He has won laurels for the country on the playing field and the battlefield.

Murlikant Petkar joined the Indian Army as a private or jawan of the craftsman rank in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) at a very young age. After joining the army, he started participating in various service sports meet. Films on athletes or landmark sporting events, if made well, create unforgettable experiences for the audience as they experience the emotions of triumph, defeat, and perseverance. ‚Chandu Champion‘, the upcoming sports drama by Kabir Khan, the director who gave films like ‚Ek Tha Tiger‘, ‚Bajrangi Bhaijaan‘, and ’83‘, looks forward to instilling the same emotions in the audience on June 14. Following his illustrious sports career, Murlikant was employed by TELCO in Pune, where he continued to inspire others with his story of courage and perseverance.

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His contributions to sports and his remarkable achievements were recognized by the Government of India in 2018 when he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. India has always given birth to courageous warriors and elite athletes. One of the most prominent names among that list is Murlikant Petkar. Murlikant Petkar is one of the best swimmers in the history of this country.

He finished his sporting career with four international swimming medals. Ever since, sadly, he has faded into obscurity, and eventually shifted base to Pune, Maharashtra, where he used his mechanical engineering skills in his job with TELCO. During his tenure in the army, he even became the state champion in table tennis, javelin throw, shot put, discus throw and archery. In 1972, Murlikant Petkar won India its first-ever Paralympic gold medal in Heidelberg, Germany, for the 50 m freestyle swimming.

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• This tragic event left him paralyzed from the waist down for life, with a bullet still lodged in his spine.

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• He bagged Gold in 50M Freestyle Swimming at the 3rd Commonwealth Paraplegic Games held at Edinburgh, Scotland.

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• In the summer Paralympics of 1968, Murlikant represented the country in table tennis and cleared the first round.
• 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.
• Then, four years later, at the 1972 Paralympics, Petkar made history as the first Indian to secure a gold medal at any level of the Olympics.

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• „I made a bundle of all my certificates and medals and stashed them away, resolving never to make any application for any award again. Then, on January 25 this year, I got a call from the government that I had been shortlisted for the Padma Shri,“ he said.

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The legendary swimmer finally got due recognition from the government when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018. But Murlikant Rajaram Petkar, 71, quickly shook off the flashback and stood upright in front of the President, greeting him in military style. The crutches tied to his forearms prevented him from offering a cracking salute to the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces.

At the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, Murlikant made history by winning India’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal. He triumphed in the 50-meter freestyle swimming event, setting a world record with a time of 37.33 seconds, a remarkable achievement that still echoes in the annals of Indian sports. Back then, he had set a world record of blazing across the waters in an impressive 37.33 seconds. He tried to rush back to his room but the firing had already started.