Dwarakesh (swimmer)
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 1989 (age 36–37) | ||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||
| Country | India | ||||||||
Event(s) | Butterfly, Freestyle | ||||||||
| Coached by | Anjali Bhagwat | ||||||||
Medal record
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Lieutenant Colonel Dwarakesh (born 1989) is an Indian Army officer, para swimmer and sport shooter, known as Army's only visually impaired active-duty officer.[1] He earned a national medal in shooting and won gold medal and silver medal at the 23rd National Para Swimming Championships.[2]
Career
[edit | edit source]Military
[edit | edit source]Dwarakesh joined the Indian Army in 2009 through the Cadet Training Wing, opting for the Corps of Military Intelligence. His career in the military took a challenging turn in 2016 when a road accident resulted in the loss of his eyesight. After this life-changing event, he remained active in his military duties and continued to serve at the Station Headquarters in Khadki, Pune.[3]
Sports
[edit | edit source]Dwarakesh's journey in parasports began in 2021, when he started training at the newly established paralympic node in the Bombay Engineering Group and Centre in Pune.[4] His initial focus was on swimming.[5]
In March 2024, Dwarakesh participated in the 23rd National Para Swimming Championships in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, organized by the Paralympic Committee of India. He won a gold medal in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 51 seconds and a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke, clocking 1 minute and 50 seconds.[2][6]
Dwarakesh also made notable progress in shooting sports. In November 2023, he won a national medal in shooting, using infrared sensor-based equipment designed for visually impaired athletes. His training in shooting was guided by former Olympian Anjali Bhagwat.[5]
With achievements in both the military and sports arenas, Dwarakesh was invited as a special guest to the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in Delhi.[1][7]
Achievements
[edit | edit source]- 2021: Scaled the Siachen Glacier.
- 2023: Won a medal in a national shooting competition.
- 2024: Secured gold in the 50m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke at the 23rd National Para Swimming Championships.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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