He had sustained severe bullet wounds during the 1965 war against Pakistan, which had left him disabled from under the waist at the tender age of 21.
Not to be daunted, the gutsy soldier from Maharashtra went on to etch his name in the annals of Indian sports by winning India's first gold medal at the Paralympic Games seven years later.
The Sports Ministry made some course corrections and awarded the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) to the legendary para-swimmer, conferring on him the prestigious award 52 years after he made history for the country in Heidelberg, Germany.
A soldier with the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Indian Army, when he suffered a debilitating injury that rendered him paraplegic, Petkar won the gold medal in the men's 50m freestyle swimming in the 1972 Paralympic Games at Heidelberg, Germany, becoming the first Indian to bag an individual gold medal in the Olympics or Paralympic Games.
Denne historien er fra January 03, 2025-utgaven av The Statesman Siliguri.
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Denne historien er fra January 03, 2025-utgaven av The Statesman Siliguri.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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