✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Murlikant Petkar

Murlikant Petkar biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Murlikant Petkar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 November 1947

Age77 Years

BirthplacePeth Islampur, Sangli, Maharashtra

ProfessionFormer Indian Athlete

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilySon - Arjun Petkar

Murlikant Petkar Biography

Murlikant Rajaram Petkar is a former Indian Army serviceman and Paralympic athlete who became the first Indian to win a Paralympic gold medal. Paralyzed in

Early life and background

Murlikant Rajaram Petkar was born on 1 November 1947 in Peth Islampur, Sangli district, Maharashtra. He grew up in Sangli, completed schooling up to fifth grade in his hometown, and later moved to his paternal aunt’s home in Pune. From a young age he showed an enthusiasm for physical sports, including wrestling, athletics and hockey.

As a young man Petkar joined the Indian Army and served in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME). While in service he competed in a number of inter-service sports events and made his international debut at the 1964 International Services Sports Meet in Tokyo, representing India in boxing and also performing strongly in swimming.

Military injury and recovery

In September 1965 Petkar was serving in Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistan conflict when an attack left him with multiple gunshot wounds and other injuries. The incident caused paralysis of his lower body and a bullet remained lodged in his spine. He received treatment at military hospitals, including the INHS Asvini naval hospital in Mumbai, where he underwent several surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation process.

During his recovery Petkar battled acute emotional distress and later described a near-fatal suicide attempt in 1967. While convalescing at the naval hospital he was introduced to swimming by a physiotherapist as a rehabilitation activity. That change in focus would reshape the rest of his life: swimming, along with javelin and shot put, became his new athletic disciplines after he could no longer continue boxing.

Career

Petkar turned his rehabilitation into competitive success. In 1967 he dominated the Maharashtra State Athletic Meet across a wide range of events, winning titles in shot put, javelin, discus, weightlifting, table tennis and archery. He represented India at the 1968 Paralympics in table tennis and won his opening match.

On the international stage he earned his first major paraplegic-meet swimming gold at the 1969 Stoke Mandeville International Paraplegic Meet in England, and repeated that success at the same meet in 1971. At the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Edinburgh he won three medals: gold in the 50-metre freestyle, silver in the javelin throw and bronze in shot put.

Petkar’s best-known achievement came at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, where he won the gold medal in freestyle swimming and set a new world record in the 50-metre freestyle with a time of 37.33 seconds. This performance made him India’s first Paralympic gold medallist. He later set another world record in the 50-metre freestyle at the International FESPIC Games in Hong Kong in 1982.

Alongside his sporting career, Petkar found long-term employment with TELCO (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) in Pune. He joined the company in 1972 and worked there for nearly thirty years, serving as a Senior Assistant in the Public Relations Department.

Awards and honours

Petkar’s competitive success brought numerous awards and recognitions over decades. Early honours included the Raksha Medal in 1965 and gold medals at Stoke Mandeville in 1969 and 1971. He received a Best Swimmer shield at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune in 1971 and the Shiv Chhatrapati Award from the Government of Maharashtra in 1975 — noted as the first time that award had been given to a disabled athlete in India.

Later recognitions include felicitations as National Champion across several years, the Krida Pratishthan Award in 1979, an Outstanding Sportsman award from the mayor of Pune in 1981, and an honour from the Corps of EME in 2018. In March 2018 he was awarded the Padma Shri. In January 2025 he was conferred the Arjuna Award.

Public profile

Petkar’s life has been the subject of interest in books and educational material. Authors have included his story in several biographies and collections, and in 2021 his life was included in a CBSE reading literacy text. A feature film inspired by his life, titled Chandu Champion, was released in 2024.

Personal life

Petkar is married and has a son named Arjun Petkar. He grew up in a family that included five siblings and his father was noted as a freedom fighter. Physical details listed for him record a height of approximately 1.75 metres (5 feet 9 inches) with black hair and black eyes.

Latest updates

In 2018 Petkar received recognition from his former corps, and in 2018 he was awarded the Padma Shri. The Arjuna Award was conferred on him in January 2025. His life continues to appear in books and education materials, and a 2024 film drew wider public attention to his story and achievements.
◈

Recent Work

Chandu Champion (film portrayal)

A 2024 feature film released that was based on his life; the character of Petkar was portrayed in the film.

2024
✦

Career Highlights

  1. India's first Paralympic gold medallist (1972, Heidelberg) with a world record of 37.33 seconds in 50m freestyle
  2. Gold at Stoke Mandeville International Paraplegic Meet (1969, 1971)
  3. Medals at the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games (Gold in 50m freestyle, Silver in javelin, Bronze in shot put)
  4. Set a world record in 50m freestyle at the 1982 International FESPIC Games
  5. Long-term employment at TELCO (joined 1972) after rehabilitation
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Murlikant Petkar born?

1 November 1947

What is Murlikant Petkar known for?

Former Indian Athlete

What is Murlikant Petkar’s marital status?

Married