File picture of Swapnil Suresh Kusale in the 50m rifle 3 positions shooting event
| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
By continuing India’s medal run in shooting events, Swapnil Kusale has finally made it on the biggest stage. The shooter hailing from wrestling-dominated city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, became the fourth Indian to bring home a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.
The 28-year-old excelled in the 50m rifle 3 positions event, a highly demanding category that requires shooters to compete in three different positions across three stages — 20 shots each in kneeling, prone and standing positions.
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Kusale, who has worked as a railway ticket collector, told PTI that he draws inspiration from another sporting legend who also started out in the same profession — M.S. Dhoni.
“I admire Dhoni for the person that he is. My sport requires me to be as calm and patient as he is on the field. I also relate to his story as I am a ticket collector like he was,” he told PTI.
He has been employed with the Central Railways since 2015. His father is a school teacher, and Kusale credits him for developing an interest in the sport.
Kusale had won gold in the Asian Games team event in 2022, but narrowly missed out on a medal in the individual event, finishing fourth.
