War Hero's Shattered Dreams
Murlikant Rajaram Petkar (born Nov 1, 1944), EME
soldier-boxer, took 5 bullets in 1965 Indo-Pak War at Srinagar camp. Two-year
coma, spinal bullet left him paraplegic. Switched to swimming, javelin, table
tennis despite zero facilities.
Paralympic Glory Ignored
1972 Heidelberg Paralympics: Gold in men's 50m freestyle
(world record 37.33s), first individual Olympic/Paralympic gold for India. 1968
Tel Aviv: Table tennis quarterfinals. 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games: Gold
swimming, silver javelin, bronze shot put. 5x Stoke Mandeville General Cup
(1969-73).
Delayed Recognition, Ongoing Struggle
TELCO Pune job post-retirement. Padma Shri 2018 (46 yrs
late). Arjuna Lifetime 2025 (52 yrs late, presented Jan 17 by President Murmu).
At 81 (2026), fights for full pension, medical aid. PCI website omits him
initially; public pressure revived story.
|
Award |
Year Won |
Recognition Delay |
Reason Cited |
|
Paralympic
Gold + WR |
1972 |
N/A |
First
for India |
|
Padma
Shri |
2018 |
46
years |
Lifetime
sports contrib. |
|
Arjuna
Lifetime |
2025 |
52
years |
Historic
para feat |
Current Plight Exposed
Petkar lives modestly in Pune, battles health issues from
war injuries. No dedicated para training center support then; now seeks policy
reforms. "I believed in myself, but nation forgot," he recalls.
Recent virals (2025) forced awards, but daily aid lacking.
Conclusion: Gold Medal Rusted, Warrior Endures
Murlikant Petkar swam to world records from wheelchair; India awarded scraps
after 50+ years. War hero's story indicts system: ₹200cr PCI budget (2026),
zero legacy fund. NewsWebFit Demand: Immediate ₹20L pension, para
coaching role, Khelo India hall of fame. India honors living legends before
they fade.
52 Years Later: Murlikant Petkar's
Arjuna Award Moment
Finally Arrives
India's pioneering Paralympic gold medalist, 80-year-old Murlikant Rajaram Petkar, expressed heartfelt joy after the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports nominated him for the Lifetime Achievement Arjuna Award—52 years after his historic 1972 triumph in Heidelberg, Germany.
Petkar's record-shattering 50m freestyle swim (world record time) delivered India's first-ever individual Olympic/Paralympic gold, yet para-sports obscurity buried his achievement for decades. Living quietly in Pune with son Arjun, he called this "a dream fulfilled through divine timing," thanking PM Narendra Modi's government—his second major honor after the 2018 Padma Shri.
No bitterness over past neglect; Petkar credits renewed attention to Kabir Khan's biopic Chandu Champion, which spotlighted his journey from 1965 Indo-Pak war hero (5 bullets, paraplegic) to para-swimming legend. He praised India's para-sports progress—17/32 Arjuna nominees are para-athletes this year—and dreams of 50+ medals at LA 2028 Paralympics, topping Paris 2024's 29-medal haul.
Article Integration: "Even Petkar's 2025 Arjuna joy
masks deeper neglect—52 years waiting indicts system while Chandu Champion
provides belated cinema glory."
Next: Part 5 –
RashmitaPatra – International Football Defender to Betel Nut Vendor
Follow NewsWebFit for complete 5-part series exposing India's sports betrayal.
Sources & Research References
- Wikipedia:
Murlikant Petkar bio, medals
- Official
Site: Achievements, war story
- DD
News: Arjuna 52 yrs late (Jan 2025)
- NDTV
Sports: Gold history, 2025 award
- Paralympic.org:
1972 WR details
- Forbes
India: Battlefield to podium