Swapnil Kusale, the first Indian shooter to reach the 50m rifle three positions final at the Olympics, has secured the bronze medal in the event, delivering India’s third medal at the Paris Games. The 29-year-old from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, draws inspiration from MS Dhoni, who, like Kusale, was a railway ticket collector early in his career. Kusale, who has been competing in international events since 2012, had to wait 12 years to make his Olympic debut. He emphasizes the importance of being calm and patient, traits he admires in Dhoni.
Kusale has watched the biopic of the World Cup-winning cricketer multiple times and hopes to match Dhoni’s achievements. A top-three finish in the 50m rifle three positions final on Thursday would solidify Kusale’s status among India’s sporting greats.
‘I don’t follow anyone specific in the shooting world. Outside of that, 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,’ Kusale told PTI after finishing seventh in a tightly contested qualification.
Kusale has been working for Central Railways since 2015. His two rivals from the Czech Republic also shot 590, but Kusale secured his place with the most inner 1os—38—compared to Jiri Privratsky and Petr Nymbursky, who took the eighth and final qualification spot.
Inspiration for Kusale also comes from his family; his father and brother are teachers in a district school, and his mother is the sarpanch of Kambalwadi village. The session was topped by China’s Liu Yukun, with the fancied Aishwary Pratap Tomar ending 11th with a total of 589.
Kusale only learned about his classification in the final when his coach informed him. He shot 197 in prone, 195 in standing, and 195 in kneeling.
‘Every shot is a new shot. I was just trying to be patient. The whole match I had the same mindset. Just shoot with patience. At the back of the mind, you are thinking about your scores, but it is better if you don’t,’ Kusale said.
With his debut Games half done, Kusale is aware of the challenges ahead. Manu Bhaker’s unprecedented two medals at the Games have provided additional motivation.
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‘It has been a great experience so far. I love shooting and I am glad that I have been able to do it for so long. Seeing Manu do well gives us a lot of confidence. If she can do it, we can do it too,’ Kusale added.
National coach Manoj Kumar Ohlyan, who has been tracking Kusale’s progress, is optimistic about his chances in the final. ‘He is in a good frame of mind. We are hoping for the best. We just want him to perform the way he did today. He was patient. He is good technically and physically,’ Ohlyan said.
