Do you know who brought India its first Paralympic gold medal? It was none other than Murlikant Rajaram Petkar who in addition to winning gold in the 50-metre freestyle swimming event at the Summer Paralympics held in Heidelberg, Germany in August 1972, set a world record of 37.33 seconds! Mr. Petkar was born in Peth Islampur, Sangli District, Maharashtra, on November 1, 1947.
In his incredible career as a professional athlete, Mr. Petkar has overcome all odds however he is still not recognised by the Paralympics Committee. Very few people are aware of his accomplishments in the sports like swimming, javelin throw, and precision javelin throw in Germany 1972. Mr. Murlikant Petkar was a truly multi-talented athlete and for his numerous achievements, he has been widely documented by international and national media.
Before being a successful athlete, Mr. Murlikant Petkar was a private at the craftsman rank in the EME (Electronics and Mechanical Engineers) corps in the Indian Army. He was originally a boxer at EME, Secunderabad before he suffered permanent disabilities due to severe bullet wounds in the India-Pakistan war in 1965. Mr. Petkar subsequently switched to swimming, athletics, table tennis, and slalom after sustaining severe bullet injuries during the combat. Yet he fails to get his due recognition to date.
Throughout his professional career, he has never failed in making India proud by winning medals for the country at various events like the Stoke Mandeville International Paraplegic Meets held in England, where he consistently broke his records and won the General Championship Cup for 5 consecutive years 1969 to 1973; 4th Commonwealth Paraplegic Games held in Glasgow, Scotland; the 3rd Commonwealth Paraplegic Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland where he won Gold in 50-metre Freestyle Swimming; Silver in Javelin Throw and Bronze in Shot-put; the International FESPIC (Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled) Games held in Hong Kong in 1982 where he created another world record in 50-metre Swimming, among others.
He was also featured in the book “Courage Beyond Compare” which is based on his many hardships and remarkable perseverance in overcoming them all. Mr. Murlikant Petkar’s passion for sports was evident in his early school years when he thrived in sports like wrestling, athletics, and hockey. When he joined the Indian Army’s Boys Battalion in Pune, he soon identified himself as a powerful sportsman who excelled in every sport he tried.
In spite of the fact that Mr. Petkar has had a bullet injury in his spinal cord, who personifies resilience, valour, and a not giving up attitude is still not even acknowledged by everyone for his accomplishments. After undergoing rigorous training for three years, he was selected to India’s paralympic squad for the 1968 Paralympics held in Israel.
He started working in TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company ) in Pune in 1972, where he was a Senior Assistant in the Public Relations Department. Despite the fact that Mr. Petkar has been a devoted serviceman and an exceptional athlete, he has been subjected to social and political injustices, and his contributions in the field and the consequent honour that he deserves remain indisputable. In 1975, Nawab Ali Yawar Jung, then Governor of Maharashtra, honoured him with Maharashtra’s highest athletic honour, the Shiv Chhatrapati Award. This was in light of his numerous athletic accomplishments, including the fact that he was the National Champion for seven consecutive years from 1968 to 1976, for which he was also honoured by then-Mayor of Pune, Mr. Vasant Thorat.
In 1964, he was selected to compete in boxing for the Indian Army at the International Services Sports Meet in Tokyo, Japan. He was transferred to Secunderabad upon his return, where he began training as an armourer while still preparing for the Nationals. He has also won Maharashtra State Championships in 1967 in Javelin, Discuss Throw, Weight Lifting, Shot-Put, Table Tennis, and Archery. He steadily advanced from state champion to national champion, eventually representing the country in multiple sports at numerous international sporting events.
Even after years of hard efforts with hardly any recognition, Mr. Murlikant Rajaram Petkar has, nevertheless, made every Indian proud by representing the country at numerous levels. Not only Mr. Petkar, but other courageous and persevering individuals also are not even acknowledged for the honour and pride they bring to our country. It is past time that we, as human beings and citizens, give them appreciation and respect for representing our country and its citizens around the world and excelling in a variety of professions.
By AARUSHI BISHT
