Murlikant Petkar

Indian swimmer (born 1944) Murlikant Rajaram PetkarPetkar in 2019Personal informationNicknameChandu ChampionNationalityIndianBorn1 November 1944 (1944-11) (age 81)Sangli, MaharashtraMilitary careerAllegiance IndiaBranch Indian ArmyRankCraftsmanUnit EMEAwards Padma Shri SportCountryIndiaSportSwimming, javelin, slalom, table tennis, shot put, BoxingDisabilityYes Medal record Freestyle swimming Representing India Paralympic Games 1972 Heidelberg 50 m freestyle swimming Murlikant Petkar (born 1 November 1944) is India's first Paralympic gold medalist. He won an individual gold medal in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, in Heidelberg, Germany. He set a world record in the 50 m freestyle swimming event, at 37.33 seconds. In the same games he participated in javelin throw, precision javelin throw, and wheelchair slalom. He was a finalist in all three events. In 2018, he was awarded with the Padma Shri. He was also awarded the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2024, which was presented to him in January 2025. Biography Petkar was born in Peth Islampur village of Sangli district of Maharashtra state. Growing up, Petkar had a deep passion for sports, particularly boxing, a sport that deman