India’s First Paralympic Gold Medalist Murlikant Petkar Receives Arjuna Lifetime Achievement Award (Video)

The most heartwarming moment of the ceremony was when India’s first Paralympic gold-medallist Murlikant Petkar walked up to the President Draupadi Murmu on crutches to receive the Arjuna award (lifetime).

The 80-year-old war hero, who was disabled waist down due to bullet wounds sustained during the 1965 battle against Pakistan, was originally a boxer but turned to para-swimming. He persevered to win a historic gold medal in the 1972 Paralympics in Heidelberg.

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President Droupadi Murmu has conferred Murlikant Rajaram Petkar with the prestigious Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for his outstanding contributions to para-swimming. His remarkable journey and achievements continue to inspire generations of athletes, showcasing resilience and… pic.twitter.com/b7Av3w0os0

— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 17, 2025

The veteran was welcomed with a rapturous applause that did not stop till he was seated back after collecting the award from the President. One among those clapping for him at the Durbar Hall was actor Kartik Aryan, who played Petkar in a recent biopic titled ‘Chandu Champion’.

Dignitaries, including sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, parliamentary and minority affairs minister Kiren Rijuju, sports secretary Sujata Chaturvedi, were among those who attended the ceremony that lasted a little over an hour. While the Khel Ratna comes with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards include a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh.

The Arjuna Awards are given to sportspersons who have demonstrated good performance over the past four years and have shown qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline. The annual honours are decided by a points system in which the maximum emphasis is on performances delivered at the Olympics and the World Championships