From Agricultural Roots to Olympic Glory: The Inspiring Journey of Pune-born Shooter Swapnil Kusale

Pune-born Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale has given India a historic bronze medal in the men's 50m 3-position event at the Paris Olympics. He is the first athlete to win an Olympic medal for India in this event. He was ranked seventh in the qualification round. In rifle three positions, the shooter shoots in three positions. These include kneeling, prone, lying on the stomach and standing.

At the same time, Swapnil was in sixth place after the kneeling and prone rounds in the final. He made a tremendous comeback in the standing position and won a medal for India in his very first Olympics. Kusale performed impressively in the qualification round and was ranked among the top eight shooters with 590 points in 60 shots, including 38 inner 10s. Along with Kusale, another Indian shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar was ranked 11th with 589 points in the qualification round. Kusale's journey to winning the medal has been full of struggles. Let's know his story...

Born on 6 August 1995 in Pune, Swapnil Kusale comes from an agricultural background. Swapnil started his journey in shooting in 2009 when his father enrolled him in Maharashtra's Krida Prabodhini, a primary sports program. After a year of intense training, Swapnil chose shooting as his sports career. His dedication and talent were soon recognized and in 2013, he got sponsorship from Lakshya Sports.

Kusale's achievements in the world of shooting are remarkable. He won the gold medal in the 50m rifle prone event at the 3 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait in 2015. Apart from this, he won the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, leaving behind renowned shooters like Gagan Narang and Chain Singh. He repeated this success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, securing another gold medal in the 50m rifle three-position event.

Swapnil had finished fourth at the 2022 World Championships in Cairo, earning an Olympic quota place for India. The Pune-born shooter won a gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Asian Games and a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2023 World Cup in Baku, as well as two silver medals in the individual and team events.

Kusale also won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2022 World Championships and a gold medal in the team event at the 2021 World Cup in New Delhi. His success was supported by support for the purchase of necessary gadgets, home training with a personal coach and financial assistance of Rs 17,58,557 through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Swapnil's journey from a promising young shooter in Pune to an Olympic medallist highlights his exceptional skill, dedication and the immense support he received throughout his career.