India's first gold medallist in Paralympic Games, Murlikant Rajaram Petkar was on Thursday elated by the news that the Sports Ministry has recommended him for the Arjuna Award in the Lifetime category and said his lone remaining wish has been fulfilled. Petkar won a gold medal in men's 50m freestyle swimming in the 1972 Paralympic Games in Heidelberg, Germany, becoming the first Indian to bag an individual gold medal in the Olympics or Paralympic Games.

However, his achievement went unnoticed and unrewarded for decades as para-sports did not get much recognition in those times and were not considered for the Arjuna Award, the top sports award before the Khel Ratna was introduced in 1991-92.