| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Lt Col Dwarakesh | ||||||||
| Born | 1989 | ||||||||
| 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]
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]
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. [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]
