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Olympics 2024: TTE Swapnil Kusale Gifts India its Third Bronze

Given Kusale has been working with Central Railway, he admires M.S. Dhoni because his journey is relatable to that of Thala

It seems shooting has become India's newfound love in the ongoing Olympic Games as another Indian shooter clinched a bronze medal, India's third so far in the tourney. Hailing from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Swapnil Kusale grabbed India's third bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 position on Thursday.

This opportunity calls for a recap of Swapnil's journey from working as a ticket examiner to an Olympic medal winner.

A humble opportunist

Hailing from a modest background, Swapnil's father enrolled him in the Maharashtra government's primary sports programme, Krida Prabhodini. At a tender age, Kusale realised that the programme was the only way to give his life a new direction and change his family's situation. Born in 1995, Kusale began participating in international events in 2012.

Early signs of success

In the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships, Kusale won gold in the 50m rifle prone 3 junior category. He also won the 59th National Shooting Championship by defeating season athletes such as Gagan Narang and Chain Singh. Two years later, he again won the championship and won a gold medal.

Kusale's recent string of superior performances

Since 2021, Kusale has been grabbing headlines in different shooting events. In 2021, he won a gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual event at the World University Games held in Chengdu. In 2022, he won two gold medals—one individual and another with the team—at the ISSF World Cup at Changwon. He also grabbed another gold in the 10m Air Rifle team event at the 2022 World Championship held in Cairo.

Last year, he won a gold in the Asian Games alongside Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran in Men's 50m Rifle 3P Team event. Kusale continued his medal-winning streak by securing a silver medal in the 10m air rifle individual at the Asian Championship held in Korea.This win was significant for Kusale as it sealed a berth for him in the Olympics 2024. It took Kusale 12 years to make his Olympic debut but what a debut it has turned out to be!

The Dhoni connection

Apart from focusing on shooting, Kusale has been working as a Travelling Ticket Examiner with the Pune Railway division since 2015. Therefore, he draws inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni and has always tried to match the achievements of our beloved Thala.

A day before grabbing the bronze, Kusale spoke to PTI, saying, "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."

Well, by winning the bronze for India at the Olympic Games, Kusale has certainly imitated a portion of Dhoni's life and success.

Medal-winning Indian shooters

Last but not least, it is worth mention that Kusale has joined an elite list of Indian shooters who have earned an Olympic medal.

Shooter

Event

Medal

Olympics

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Men’s double trap

Silver

Athens 2004

Abhinav Bindra

Men’s 10m air rifle

Gold

Beijing 2008

Gagan Narang

Men’s 10m air rifle

Bronze

London 2012

Vijay Kumar

Men’s 25m rapid fire pistol

Silver

London 2012

Manu Bhaker

Women’s 10m air pistol

Bronze

Paris 2024

Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh

Mixed team 10m air pistol

Bronze

Paris 2024

Swapnil Kusale

Men’s 50m rifle 3P

Bronze

Paris 2024