"Like he is calm on the field, I followed the same thing while shooting" - Olympic medalist Swapnil Kusale explains how MS Dhoni helped him

Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale has disclosed that MS Dhoni's calm approach on the cricket field helped him in a way while shooting. Kusale finished third in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event, thereby becoming the third Indian to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Soon after the win, Kusale spoke with JioCinema, where he mentioned how he learned the ability to stay calm from former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni.

A day before the final, Kusale told PTI that he related his story with Dhoni because even he was a ticket collector at one point. Thus, when JioCinema host asked him about Dhoni's role in his success, the Paris Olympics bronze medalist responded:

"Like he (Dhoni) is calm on the field, I followed the same thing while shooting in Olympics."

Yesterday, in a chat with PTI, Kusale made the following comments about Dhoni's role in his journey:

"I admire MS 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 hails from the Kambalwadi village of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. He became the first ever Indian shooter to win an Olympics medal in the men's 50m 3P category.

Many other athletes have adopted MS Dhoni's calm approach in their game

Not just Swapnil Kusale, several other athletes have mentioned in the past how they adopted the ability of staying calm in pressure situations from Dhoni and achieved success in their respective sports.

Badminton stars like PV Sindhu and Parupalli Kashyap have spoken about Dhoni's influence in the past, while many cricket stars also speak with the former Indian skipper after IPL matches to get some valuable tips from him.