| 1. Murlikant Petkar is a former Indian athlete who won a Paralympic gold medal in 1972. |
| 2. He secured India’s first-ever gold medal in the Summer Paralympics Games and set a world record in the 50m freestyle swimming event. |
| 3. After studying till the 5th standard in his hometown of Sangli, Maharashtra, he moved to Pune. |
| 4. Petkar excelled in sports like wrestling, athletics, and hockey from a young age. |
| 5. He joined the Indian Army as a private in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers. |
| 6. In 1969, he was discharged from the Indian Army after participating in various service sports events. |
| 7. Murlikant Petkar was paralyzed from the waist down in 1965 during the Indo-Pakistani War. |
| 8. He took up swimming on the advice of a physiotherapist during his treatment in Mumbai. |
| 9. Petkar worked at TELCO in Pune for almost thirty years starting in 1972. |
| 10. The CBSE board included Petkar’s life story in the book 'Reading Literacy' in 2021. |
| 11. In 2024, a film titled 'Chandu Champion' was released, inspired by Murlikant Petkar's life. |
| 12. He represented India in boxing at the 1964 International Services Sports Meet in Tokyo. |
| 13. In 1967, he became the Maharashtra State Champion in Shot-put, Javelin throw, Discus throw, Weightlifting, Table Tennis and Archery. |
| 14. He participated in the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he won four medals in swimming and cleared the first round in table tennis. |
