"He might skip his meals sometimes but he would never miss a training session" - Swapnil Kusale's father Suresh [Exclusive]

Two-time World Cup-winning Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has undoubtedly inspired a generation of athletes, aspiring to become world beaters despite hailing from the remotest of India’s corners. One among such is Swapnil Kusale, who on Thursday (August 1), added a third medal to the nation’s tally by picking up a bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position event at the Paris Olympics.

Calmness, the most unruffled demeanor of the legendary MS Dhoni, even in the most difficult and intense situations, isn’t the only factor that resonates deeply with the 28-year-old Kusale’s ability to maintain composure under pressure. It is also one of the crucial factors needed to excel in a highly demanding category that requires shooters to compete in three different positions across three stages — 15 shots each in kneeling, prone, and 10 in the standing position before the eliminations begin in the standing position.

Rising up the ranks from humble backgrounds, there are other parallels that connect their lives. Kusale, employed with the Central Railways, like Dhoni, was also a railway ticket collector in the early phase of his career, successfully managing to balance his day job with his shooting career. He has been employed with the Central Railways since 2015.

Humble beginning

Born into a farming family in Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Kusale’s foray into sports began at Krida Prabhodini, the Maharashtra government's sports development program, in 2009 before he found his calling in shooting.

Kusale eventually picked up his pace after six years when he won a gold in 50m rifle prone 3 event in the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait, where he competed in the junior category. He went on to win the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, outpacing renowned shooters such as Gagan Narang, who had won silver in the 2012 London Olympics and is the current Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent in Paris, and Chain Singh in the 50m rifle prone event.

Glued to their TV sets, Kusale’s parents along with close family friends and neighbors, eagerly waited for the moment when Kusale finished with a final score of 451.4 to confirm India’s third medal at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux. The first two medals for India at the Paris Olympics had also come in shooting and this is the first time India has won three medals in a single sport at a single edition of the Games.

As soon as the news spread in, people from the nearby areas started making a beeline to take part in the celebrations that began with distribution of sweets.

“I’m really proud of my son today, he has finally realised his dreams of winning an Olympic medal. I’m also proud of him because he has dedicated this medal to all the countrymen, this medal belongs to all those coaches, who have worked tirelessly with him over the years,” Suresh Kusale told Sportskeeda after the win.

“We were confident of his performance, this is the fruit for the perseverance and dedication he has shown towards his sport. He might skip his meals sometimes but he would never miss a training session in his entire career, and that’s where our confidence in him developed.”

The Sr Kusale and the other son are teachers in a district school while Swapnil’s mother is the Sarpanch of the village.

Challenges in the journey

For Swapnil, who earned a Paris Olympic quota berth by finishing fourth in the men’s 50m rifle 3-position event at the World Championship in Cairo, the journey has been far from smooth as he battled a chronic tonsil issue. Notably, the Olympic quotas earned in shooting are for the country, and the final team selection is made by the sports federation through trials.

His father maintained that it was a tough phase for Swapnil as he couldn’t focus on his shooting, but thankfully got rid of the issue in December 2023.

Kusale, who won the Hangzhou Asian Games gold along with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran by setting a new world record in the men’s rifle 3 positions team event, registering a score of 1769, had topped the final Olympic selection trials held in Bhopal by pipping his nearest rival Sheoran.

In the qualification round held on Wednesday, Swapnil, ranked 62nd in the world exceeded expectations by finishing seventh with a score of 590 ahead of his fancied compatriot and World No. 23 Aishwary Pratap Singh, who finished 11th with 589.