Son of Sarpanch, shades of MS Dhoni: Meet Swapnil Kusale, ticket collector who won bronze at Paris Olympics 2024

Swapnil Kusale has secured a third medal for India at the Paris Olympics 2024 by clinching a bronze in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final. This achievement marks India's third bronze medal at the games, all of which have been earned in the sport of shooting.

Swapnil finds inspiration in MS Dhoni, who, like himself, started his career as a railway ticket collector. Hailing from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, the 29-year-old has been competing in international events since 2012. It took him 12 years to finally make his Olympic debut at the Paris Games. Kusale values the virtues of calmness and patience, qualities he greatly admires in Dhoni.

Having watched the biopic of the World Cup-winning cricketer numerous times, Kusale aspires to emulate Dhoni's remarkable achievements.

‘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 employed by Central Railways since 2015. In a recent competition, Kusale's two competitors from the Czech Republic also scored 590 points, but Kusale secured his position with the highest inner 10s—38—compared to Jiri Privratsky and Petr Nymbursky, who claimed the eighth and final qualifying spot.

Kusale draws inspiration from his family; his father and brother are educators at a district school, and his mother serves as the sarpanch of Kambalwadi village. 

Swapnil has achieved remarkable success in the world of shooting. He secured a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 event at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. Furthermore, he emerged victorious at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, outperforming renowned shooters such as Gagan Narang and Chain Singh. This success was repeated at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, where he claimed another gold in the 50m rifle 3-position event.

At the 2022 World Championship in Cairo, Swapnil finished in 4th place, earning an Olympic quota place for India. He also excelled at the 2022 Asian Games, winning gold in the team event, and at the 2023 World Cup in Baku, where he secured gold in the mixed team event along with two silver medals in individual and team events. Additionally, Kusale claimed a bronze medal in the team event at the 2022 World Championship and gold in the team event at the 2021 World Cup in New Delhi.

Swapnil's success can be attributed to the support he has received, including assistance under the Procurement of Ammunition, domestic training with a personal coach, and financial backing of Rs. 17,58,557 through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

Also read| Paris Olympics 2024: Swapnil Kusale secures third medal for India, wins bronze in men's 50m rifle 3P