# India at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

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. India made its Paralympics debut in the previous Games in 1968. India sent ten competitors including seven males and three females.

## Medalist

India won its first ever Paralympic medal when Murlikant Petkar won the gold medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle event.
| 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.
| 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 | 3 | 10 |

## Archery

| Athlete | Event | Score | Rank |
| Patel | Women's St. Nicholas round paraplegic | 31 | 8 |

## Athletics
### Track

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Chandrashekhar | Men's 100 m 2 | 1:28.40 | 22 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Magan Gina | Men's 100 m 3 | 48.80 | 41 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Murlikant Petkar | Men's slalom 3 | — | — | 1:20.10 | 26 |

### Field

| Athlete | Event | Result | Points | Rank |
| Diwan | Men's shot put 2 | 2.72 | — | 24 |
| Makandi | Men's shot put 4 | 4.25 | — | 36 |
| Makandi | Men's precision javelin open | — | 1 | 68 |
| Murlikant Petkar | Men's precision javelin open | — | 26 | 55 |
| Murlikant Petkar | Men's javelin 3 | 15.07 | — | 15 |
| Murlikant Petkar | Men's shot put 3 | 6.20 | — | 12 |
| Patel | Women's precision javelin open | — | 12 | 51 |
| Patel | Women's javelin 3 | 6.08 | — | 30 |
| Patel | Women's shot put 3 | 2.88 | — | 30 |
| Poudwal | Men's javelin 5 | 8.10 | — | 26 |
| Poudwal | Men's shot put 5 | 3.95 | — | 28 |
| Shehrnaz Kermani | Women's precision javelin open | — | 27 | 41 |
| Shehrnaz Kermani | Women's discus throw 3 | 7.43 | — | 27 |
| Shehrnaz Kermani | Women's javelin 3 | 7.05 | — | 26 |
| Shehrnaz Kermani | Women's shot put 3 | 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.
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Murlikant Petkar | Men's 50 m freestyle 3 | — | — | 37.33 | |

## Table tennis

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

## Weightlifting

| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank |
| Makandi | Men's featherweight | 75 | 6 |