India at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
Sporting event delegation
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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.
| India at the 1972 Summer Paralympics | |
|---|---|
| |
| IPC code | IND |
| NPC | Paralympic Committee of India |
| Website | Paralympic India |
| in Heidelberg August 2, 1972 – August 11, 1972 | |
| Competitors | 10 in 5 sports |
| Medals Ranked 25th |
|
| Summer Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Archery |
0 | 1 | 1 |
.svg){kind=small} Athletics |
6 | 2 | 8 |
.svg){kind=small} Swimming |
1 | 0 | 1 |
.svg){kind=small} 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] | N/a | 1:20.10 | 26 | |
- Field
| Athlete | Event | Result | Points | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diwan | Men's shot put 2[14] | 2.72 | N/a | 24 |
| Makandi | Men's shot put 4[15] | 4.25 | N/a | 36 |
| Men's precision javelin open[16] | N/a | 1 | 68 | |
| Murlikant Petkar | N/a | 26 | 55 | |
| Men's javelin 3[17] | 15.07 | N/a | 15 | |
| Men's shot put 3[18] | 6.20 | N/a | 12 | |
| Patel | Women's precision javelin open[19] | N/a | 12 | 51 |
| Women's javelin 3[20] | 6.08 | N/a | 30 | |
| Women's shot put 3[21] | 2.88 | N/a | 30 | |
| Poudwal | Men's javelin 5[22] | 8.10 | N/a | 26 |
| Men's shot put 5[23] | 3.95 | N/a | 28 | |
| Shehrnaz Kermani | Women's precision javelin open[19] | N/a | 27 | 41 |
| Women's discus throw 3[24] | 7.43 | N/a | 27 | |
| Women's javelin 3[20] | 7.05 | N/a | 26 | |
| Women's shot put 3[21] | 3.31 | N/a | 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 | N/a | 37.33 |  | |
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 GermanyL 0–3 |
 United StatesL 0–3 |
3 | Did not advance | |||
Weightlifting
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makandi | Men's featherweight[28] | 75 | 6 |