Swapnil Kusale — the railway ticket collector who made it big at the Paris Olympics
Kusale has said he draws inspiration from another sporting legend who also started out as a ticket collector — M.S. Dhoni
File picture of Swapnil Suresh Kusale in the 50m rifle 3 positions shooting event
| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
By continuing India’s medal run in shooting events, Swapnil Kusale has finally made it on the biggest stage. The shooter hailing from wrestling-dominated city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, became the fourth Indian to bring home a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.
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The 28-year-old excelled in the 50m rifle 3 positions event, 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.
Kusale, who has worked as a railway ticket collector, told PTI that he draws inspiration from another sporting legend who also started out in the same profession — M.S. Dhoni.
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“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,” he told PTI.
He has been employed with the Central Railways since 2015. His father is a school teacher, and Kusale credits him for developing an interest in the sport.
According to the official Olympics website, his father enrolled him into the Mahrashtra government’s primary sporting programme and he had to choose one sport. He decided to take up shooting.
ॐ त्र्य॑म्बकं यजामहे सु॒गन्धिं॑ पुष्टि॒वर्ध॑नम् ।
उ॒र्वा॒रु॒कमि॑व॒ बन्ध॑नान् मृ॒त्योर्मु॑क्षीय॒ माऽमृता॑॑त् ।।
Swapnil Kusale has the Mahamrityunjay mantra tattooed down his spine. It is a verse that bestows immortality. That’s what he is now in Indian sports history, having won… pic.twitter.com/ZBMFN8vlHs— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) August 1, 2024
Kusale had won gold in the Asian Games team event in 2022, but narrowly missed out on a medal in the individual event, finishing fourth.
He also won two gold and one silver at the 2022 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Among Indian shooters, he considers 2012 Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang as his hero.
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