India at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Sporting event delegation
India at the
1972 Summer Paralympics
IPC codeIND
NPCParalympic Committee of India
WebsiteParalympic India
in Heidelberg
August 2, 1972 (1972-08-02) – August 11, 1972 (1972-08-11)
Competitors10 in 5 sports
Medals
Ranked 25th
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
1
Summer Paralympics appearances (overview)

India competed at the 1972 Summer Paralympics held in Heidelberg from 2 to 11 August 1972. The nation made its official debut at the last Paralympic Games in 1968. This was India's second consecutive appearance at the Summer Games for the disabled. India sent a contingent consisting of ten athletes for the Games and won a single gold medal.

Background

The ninth International Stoke Mandville Games was later designated as the first Paralympics in 1960 and the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation organized the 1972 Games.[1] India made its Paralympics debut in the previous Games in 1968.[2] India sent ten competitors including seven males and three females.[3]

Medalist

India won its first ever Paralympic medal when Murlikant Petkar won the gold medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle event.[4][5]

Medal Name Sport Event
Gold Murlikant Petkar Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle 3

Competitors

The Indian contingent for the Games consisted of ten athletes who competed across five sports.[6]

Sport Men Women Total
Archery 0 1 1
Athletics 6 2 8
Swimming 1 0 1
Table tennis 2 0 2
Weightlifting 1 0 1
Total 7[a] 3 10[a]

Archery

Athlete Event Score Rank
Patel Women's St. Nicholas round paraplegic[10] 31 8

Athletics

Track
Athlete Event Heat Final
Result Rank Result Rank
Chandrashekhar Men's 100 m 2[11] 1:28.40 22 Did not advance
Magan Gina Men's 100 m 3[12] 48.80 41 Did not advance
Murlikant Petkar Men's slalom 3[13] — 1:20.10 26
Field
Athlete Event Result Points Rank
Diwan Men's shot put 2[14] 2.72 — 24
Makandi Men's shot put 4[15] 4.25 — 36
Men's precision javelin open[16] — 1 68
Murlikant Petkar — 26 55
Men's javelin 3[17] 15.07 — 15
Men's shot put 3[18] 6.20 — 12
Patel Women's precision javelin open[19] — 12 51
Women's javelin 3[20] 6.08 — 30
Women's shot put 3[21] 2.88 — 30
Poudwal Men's javelin 5[22] 8.10 — 26
Men's shot put 5[23] 3.95 — 28
Shehrnaz Kermani Women's precision javelin open[19] — 27 41
Women's discus throw 3[24] 7.43 — 27
Women's javelin 3[20] 7.05 — 26
Women's shot put 3[21] 3.31 — 27

Swimming

Murlikant Petkar became the first Indian Paralympic medalist when he won a gold medal in swimming. Hailing from Maharashtra, he was part of the Indian Army. He was injured in the 1965 India-Pakistan War when he was hit by multiple bullets. He started swimming as an exercise to improve mobility in the injured leg muscles. He set a new World Record when he won the gold medal in the freestyle 3 event. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's third highest civilian honor for his achievement.[25][26]

Athlete Event Heat Final
Result Rank Result Rank
Murlikant Petkar Men's 50 m freestyle 3 — 37.33 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Table tennis

Athlete/Team Event Group Stage Quarterfinals Semifinals Final / BM
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
India Men's teams 3[27]  West Germany
L 0–3 		 United States
L 0–3 		3 Did not advance

Weightlifting

Athlete Event Result Rank
Makandi Men's featherweight[28] 75 6

Notes

  1. ^ a b
    • Petkar participated in athletics and swimming.[7]
    • Makandi participated in athletics and weightlifting.[8]
    • Patel participated in athletics and archery.[9]

References

  1. ^ "History of IPC". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  2. ^ "India at the Paralympics: A brief history". Olympics.com. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Participants Heidelberg 1972 Paralympic Games". International Paralympic Committee. 1972. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  4. ^ "How a war hero won India's first Paralympics gold in 1972". The Times of India. 29 August 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Murlikant Petkar: From War Hero to India's First Paralympic Champion". Cross Barriers. 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Participants in the 1972 Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Petkar". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Makandi". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Patel". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Results/Archery/Women's St. Nicholas round paraplegic". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's 100 m 2". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's 100 m 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's slalom 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's shot put 2". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's shot put 4". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's precision javelin open". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's javelin 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's shot put 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Results/Athletics/Women's precision javelin open". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Results/Athletics/Women's javelin 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Results/Athletics/Women's shot put 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's javelin 5". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Results/Athletics/Men's shot put 5". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Results/Athletics/Women's discus throw 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  25. ^ Shrikant, B (22 August 2012). "Forgotten hero: India's first Paralympic gold medallist". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  26. ^ "Murlikant Petkar – The first one to rise amongst a billion". International Paralympic Committee. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ^ "Results/Table tennis/Men's teams 3". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Results/Weightlifting/Men's featherweight". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.