Calmness, the most unruffled demeanour of the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni, even in the most difficult and intense situations, inspired the Indian cricket team to two World Cup titles. This facet of the Captain Cool’s persona has transcended beyond the cricketing fraternity to shooter Swapnil Kusale, who on Thursday, added a third medal to the nation’s tally by picking a bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position event at the Paris Olympics.
The 28-year-old Maharashtra shooter’s ability to maintain composure under pressure, especially in a highly demanding category that requires shooters to compete in three different positions across three stages — 20 shots each in kneeling, prone and standing positions, mirrors a primary trait of Dhoni’s life but there are other parallels that connect the two.
“It was tense but I am glad I could get a bronze for India. I just did what I have been doing all these years. I had some ‘keywords’ in my mind. Just focused on my breathing. I am excited. Maybe it is yet to sink in but remaining calm has been a way of life for some time now,” Swapnil said after the win.
Swapnil, employed with the Central Railways, like Dhoni, also a railway ticket collector in the early phase of his career, successfully managed to balance his day job with his shooting career. He has been employed with the Central Railways since 2015.
Born into a farming family in Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Swapnil began his journey in sports after being enrolled into the Krida Prabhodini, the Maharashtra government’s sports development program, in 2009 before he developed interest in shooting.
It took six long years for Swapnil to taste success at the international level when he won a gold in 50m rifle prone 3 event at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait, where he competed in the junior category. Later, he went on to win the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, outpacing renowned shooters Gagan Narang, who had won silver in the 2012 London Olympics and the current Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent in Paris, and Chain Singh in the 50m rifle prone event.
On Thursday, Swapnil’s parents along with close family members and neighbours were glued to their TV sets, eagerly waiting for the moment until 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 have won three medals in a single sport at a single edition of the Games.
“I’m falling short of words, this medal means a lot to him, to those years of sacrifice, dedication and training. A lot of credit goes to all his coaches, 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 the country,” an elated father Suresh Kusale told The Statesman after the win.
“We were confident of his performance. He can skip his meals sometimes but he has never missed a training session in his entire career, and that’s where our confidence comes from,” the Sr Kusale, who works as a teacher in a district school said.
Swapnil’s mother is the Sarpanch of the village while his brother also works as a teacher.
Overcoming multiple challenges
Ever since he earned a Paris Olympic quota berth by finishing fourth in the men’s 50m rifle 3-position event at the 2022 World Championship in Cairo, Swapnil’s journey has been rocked by multiple challenges, and the primary one was 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.
“We learnt that he was not in great shape and then he had to prepare for the selection trials. But whenever we called him, we would hear firing shots from the background. He kept his focus despite the tonsil issue, but thankfully he managed to get rid of it before the Games,” he said while adding that Swapnil finally got rid of the issue late last year.
Swapnil, who had teamed up with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran to clinch the Hangzhou Asian Games gold 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 Akhil while Aishwary finished third.
In the qualification round held on Wednesday, Swapnil, ranked 62nd in the world finished 7th with a score of 590 ahead of his fancied compatriot and world no.23 Aishwarya, who finished 11th with 589.