Who was Murlikant Rajaram Petkar and what award did he receive at the National Sports Awards 2025 ceremony?
- India's first Paralympic gold medallist (1972); received Lifetime Arjuna Award at 80
- India's first Olympic gold medallist post-independence; received Dhyan Chand Award
- Veteran para-athlete; won gold at Paris 2024 Paralympics; received regular Arjuna
- Hockey legend who won 1980 Olympic gold; received lifetime achievement award
Answer: India's first Paralympic gold medallist (50m freestyle swimming, 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics) — received the Lifetime Arjuna Award at age 80
Murlikant Petkar lost the use of his right arm in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. He then trained as a para-swimmer and won India's first-ever Paralympic gold medal at the 1972 Heidelberg Games in the 50m freestyle swimming event. At the 2025 ceremony (age 80), he received the Lifetime Arjuna Award and the room gave him a standing ovation. He was personally received by President Murmu.