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]
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Lt Col Dwarakesh | ||||||||
| Born | 1989 | ||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||
| Country | India | ||||||||
| Event(s) | Butterfly, Freestyle | ||||||||
| Coached by | Anjali Bhagwat | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||
Career
editMilitary
editDwarakesh 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
editDwarakesh'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.[6][7]
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][8]
Achievements
edit- 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
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Army's lone blind officer gets PMO invite for Republic Day function". The Times of India. 2024-01-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ "Visually impaired Army officer wins gold in national para swimming event". The Times of India. 2024-04-04. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ Dolare, Rahul (2024-04-04). "Pune: Blind Army Officer Lt Col Dwarakesh Triumphs with Gold and Silver at National Para Swimming Championships". Punekar News. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ vipin.vijayan. "Lost his eyes, not his willpower... How Lt Col Dwarakesh embraced AI to get back in the army (WATCH)". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ a b "Lt Col Dwarakesh: India's Only Blind Active-Duty Officer Shines in Sports". Punekar News. 2024-01-21. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ "Visually impaired Armyman wins gold in national para event". The Times of India. 2024-04-04. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ "Visually Impaired Army Man Swims To Victory & Wins Gold In National Para Event". Indiatimes. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ "Lt Col Dwarakesh Army's lone blind officer receives PMO invite for Republic Day function". Nation Now. 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-07-20.