"Swapnil Kusale: From Ticket Collector to Olympic Bronze Shooter"

SHOOTER SWAPNIL MADE HISTORY FOR INDIA

Shooter Swapnil Kusale made history for India in the Men's 50m Rifle 3P final at the Paris Olympic Games, securing a bronze medal for the first time in the event. While Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh combined to earn India two medals in shooting, Kusale added another medal to the tally, as Indian shooters continued to shine at the quadrennial games. 

Swapnil had already made history by qualifying for the men's 50m rifle 3P final, becoming the first Indian to do so. While all of India is singing his praises, not many know that Kusale is a fan of MS Dhoni and has previously worked as a ticket-collector, just like the cricket icon early in his career.

The 29-year-old from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur in Maharashtra has been competing in international events since 2012 but had to wait another 12 years to make his Olympics debut at the Paris Games. Being calm and patient are prerequisites for a shooter, and these traits are also the hallmark of Dhoni's personality.

It is therefore no surprise that Kusale relates to Dhoni's life story. He has watched the biopic of the World Cup winner multiple times and hopes to match the lofty achievements of the champion cricketer. A top-three finish in the 50m rifle three positions final on Thursday has certainly placed Kusale among the high achievers in Indian sport. "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 shortly after finishing seventh in a tightly contested qualification.

Kusale has been working for Central Railways since 2015. His two rivals from the Czech Republic also shot 590, but the Indian had the most inner 10s—38—compared to Jiri Privratsky and Petr Nymbursky, who sealed the eighth and last qualification spot. He also doesn't have to look far beyond home for inspiration. His father and brother are teachers in a district school, while his mother is the sarpanch of Kambalwadi village.

The fancied Aishwary Pratap Tomar ended 11th with a total of 589 in a session topped by China's Liu Yukun. Kusale did not know about his classification in the final until his coach informed him. He shot 197 in prone, 195 in standing, and the same in kneeling. "Every shot is a new shot. I was just trying to be patient. Throughout the match, I maintained the same mindset—just shoot with patience. At the back of your mind, you think about your scores, but it's better if you don't," said Kusale.